BROADview in Brief: What a Week!

Blocking blockers, new lawsuits, one ker-azy article

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

England’s NHS has officially removed puberty blockers as routine treatment for gender dysphoria. “We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of [puberty-suppressing hormones] to make the treatment routinely available at this time,” the policy statement read. But instead of walking back overblown claims about such medical interventions for gender dysphoric youth, the American press repeated them. “The AMA and LGBTQ advocates stress that gender-affirming care can be a life-saving treatment for trans youth,” wrote CNN. Any rumbling discomfort among editors and writers that maybe these assertions are…wrong? Not yet!

The Free Press reported that female athletes are suing the NCAA over the allowance of male athletes in their competitions. “At the center of the class-action lawsuit is Lia Thomas, the trans athlete who dominated the 2022 NCAA Swimming Championships while a student at the University of Pennsylvania. The suit states that both the NCAA and Georgia Tech, which hosted the event, knowingly violated Title IX, the federal statute that guarantees equal opportunity for men and women in college education and sports,” they write. If the suit goes to the Supreme Court, who knows what will happen, since at least one member of it can’t define what a woman is.

This is a good time to remember why sex-based language is very important in legal cases. It’s not about transgender athletes, but about men and women. I hope the lawyers will educate future jurors by explaining the situation in two ways: “How do you feel about transgender athletes competing against women?” and “How do you feel about men competing against women?”

The less free press, otherwise known as New York magazine, published one of the most outrageous stories about youth gender transition yet. Essentially: let kids do whatever the hell they want. Here’s my tweeted take:

What I didn't understand about parenting until years in: when kids push on boundaries, the parents' job is not to acquiesce but to hold boundaries in place. Kids push boundaries to find the edges of acceptability. I think this @NYMagessay by @andrealongchu is doing just that.

"How much can we get away with?" Chu seems to be asking, admitting that gender identity is a "thin peg," biological sex is a "reality," and we should let kids "change sex" for any reason whatsoever. Even though it's not actually possible to change sex.

Chu is describing child-led medicine, the natural complement to child-led parenting, child-led education, child-led *everything* that is the American liberal zeitgeist. (I should know. I've been part of it.) That equates to: "Give me hormones because I say so." A child's demand.

Indeed, as I wrote, the concept of gender identity refers to a *toddler's* level of cognition, the phase in which a preschooler begins to understand that there are 2 sexes, that he or she is one or the other—an understanding largely based on stereotypes.

The absurdities here are many, including the list of people who supposedly voluntarily exiled themselves to Substack, as opposed to no longer being able to tell the truth in mainstream media. More absurd: that the NYTimes is the leading voice for "anti-trans" liberals.

Will this article alert people to the bad-faith arguments and absurdities of child-led medicine? Will this be the moment the grown-ups emerge to push back on the boundaries and say, "This has gone to far?" Or will the goalposts move yet again?

Now to news summaries, followed by a headline round-up, from our dear Alejandra Q:

·       On Monday, Idaho House Republicans voted against the use of taxpayer funds to pay for gender transitions. Puberty blockers and cross sex hormones will no longer be covered by Medicaid while the block may also apply to those individuals who are covered under the Idaho state employee insurance plan.

·       Shawnee County District Court Judge Teresa Watson sided with Kansans Attorney General Kris Kobach and issued a ruling that will allow the state to continue to bar changes to gender markers in driver licenses. According to Judge Watson, the ruling does not violate the rights of transgender individuals. Also concerning Kansas, SB 233, a bill barring pediatric gender affirming interventions, advanced through the state’s House and is now headed to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk. Gov. Kelly had already vetoed a similar legislation which was followed by a failed attempt to override it.

·       16 Republican-led states, including Texas, Florida, and Kentucky, have threatened to sue Maine if the state adopts a bill meant to grant legal protections for those seeking or providing gender-affirming procedures to minors.

·       After last week’s cease-and-desist letter from Letitia James, the NYCLU is now suing Nassau County for banning trans-identified males from participating in female sports. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a women’s roller derby league.

·       On Thursday, the Wyoming state Senate voted to pass Senate File 99 (formerly called “Chloe’s Law”) which would ban surgeries on minors seeking to transition. The bill, now titled Children Gender Change Prohibition, will prohibit health care professionals from providing gender affirming interventions and surgeries to minors in most situations. 

·       On Monday, the Arkansas Department of Finance (DFA) announced changes to the state’s driver's license gender policy which will eliminate their gender 'x' marker. The ‘x’ marker was intended for the use of transgender, non-binary and intersex people. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders embraced the announcement.

·       The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that the Utah Department of Corrections was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act due to their treatment of a transgender inmate. The inmate, who identifies as a transgender woman, alleges discrimination based on a lack of equal access to healthcare and reasonable modifications.

·       On Tuesday, Nebraska governor Gov. Jim Pillen approved regulations tied to a Nebraska law which was passed last year that restricts gender-affirming procedures for minors. These regulations include a seven-day waiting period before the start of puberty blockers or cross sex hormones and the requirement to undergo a minimum of 40 hours of therapy.

·       The Wisconsin Legislature passed a ban on Tuesday that prevents trans-identified male student athletes from competing in female sports. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, however, has promised to veto the bill.

·       Parents have expressed concerns surrounding a transgender staff member at NASA's Space Camp, which takes place every year in Huntsville, Alabama. Molly Bowman, who is a trans-identified male, is expected to serve as a team lead and hall monitor in the camp, which means that Bowman will have access to the girls’ dormitories. Parents have also accused Bowman of sharing sexually-explicit posts concerning gender dysphoria. In response to these complaints, U.S. Rep. Dale Strong posted on X calling for the camp to “remove this individual and open a safety review’. The camp also responded by claiming that they “are working to determine the facts in this case, after which we will take appropriate action.”

International

·       The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of Northern Ireland announced that it will not follow the WPATH’s guidelines. However, this contradicts the country’s Programme for Government which agreed in 2020 to “create and implement a general health policy for trans people, based on a best-practice model for care, in line with Wpath”. 

·       UK’s former prime minister Liz Truss will seek to change the legal definition of sex to “biological” based on a private member bill which will receive its second reading on Friday. Truss’s bill could bar trans identified males from female-only spaces and sports as well as prevent teachers or those working in an official capacity from claiming that a child is the opposite sex. It would also ban private medical practices along with the NHS from prescribing hormones to children. Meanwhile, Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer, who had once refused to take a stance on the issue, is now backing a ban on trans-identified males from women’s sports.

·       Saturday night, a mob of over 150 people attacked a couple of transgender individuals in downtown Thessaloniki, Greece. Nine people have been arrested over the alleged harassment and threats and they are set to be tried on Monday. A peaceful demonstration against homophobia and transphobia took place Sunday night in Thessaloniki as a response to the violent event. 

Headlines:

·       OUTRAGE over male-to-female trans hall monitor at Alabama space camp: parents and lawmakers want self-described 'butch coded space queer' out of girls' shower room (Parents say trans monitor shared sexually-explicit posts about gender dysphoria. Huntsville space camp is trashing its reputation, warns Alabama senator.)

·       Arkansas changes driver's license gender policy, causing concern in transgender community 

·       A heated custody battle over a transgender child in California stokes a viral debate

·       Florida teachers can discuss sexual orientation, gender ID under ‘Don’t Say Gay’ settlement—”Opponents said the law had created confusion about whether teachers could identity themselves as LGBTQ or if they even could have rainbow stickers in classrooms. (Students and teachers will be able to speak freely about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms, provided it’s not part of instruction, under a settlement reached Monday between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys who had challenged a state law which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The settlement clarifies what is allowed in Florida classrooms following passage two years ago of the law prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. Opponents said the law had created confusion about whether teachers could identity themselves as LGBTQ or if they even could have rainbow stickers in classrooms.”

·       Georgia restricted transgender care for youth in 2023. Now Republicans are seeking an outright ban—”A year ago, Georgia lawmakers said they were striking a balance when they banned most gender-affirming care for transgender people under 18, but let doctors continue prescribing medicines to block puberty.”

·       Idaho House Decision: Blocking Gender-Affirming Care for Adults Sparks Outrage and Debate!

·       ACLU subpoenas WHISTLEBLOWER who claims Missouri transgender clinic where she worked pumped vulnerable teens full of powerful hormones

·       'Constitutional crisis'? Maine bill nationalizes transgender hormones, England halts them for kids

·       Ramapo Indian Hills NJ school board abolishes transgender policy “The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional School District's board has abolished its transgender policy by a 6-3 vote. The board on Monday night followed in the footsteps of Franklin Lakes grade school district, one of its sending districts, which abolished its policy earlier this year…It remains unclear if the vote is symbolic, or will have any impact on school policy regarding transgender students. In particular, parents have objected to the policy for allowing students to decide whether or not their parents are informed of their changing gender status.”

·       North Dakota judge rules Christian groups can’t be forced to fund “gender-affirming” care for minors

·       Utah prison discriminated against transgender inmate, Dept. of Justice says  “The Utah Department of Corrections was found in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act after discriminating against a transgender inmate with gender dysphoria, the Department of Justiceannounced Tuesday. The investigation was opened after a complaint was filed by a transgender woman who was incarcerated. The woman said the UDOC discriminated against her because of her gender dysphoria, denied her equal access to healthcare and denied her “reasonable modifications.””

·       Vermont Girls’ Basketball Team With Transgender Center Loses State Championship Game

·       Global Transgender Human Rights Study “A new study released by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights entitled “Human rights & gender identity & expression” addresses long-standing & new challenges experienced by our transgender community globally. It includes those who are further marginalized due to their characteristics or status & addresses that trans people are a diverse group of individuals with differing experiences, identities & views.”

There are sooooo many more that Alejandra has compiled. If anyone wants a longer list, let us know! Please leave any other newsworthy tidbits in the comments!