American Academy Of Pediatrics Responds to UK Cass Review: It's Politics, Not Science

Rosemary Ketchum on pexels

Two American medical organizations, the Endocrine Society And the American Academy Of Pediatrics have issued statements rejecting the Cass review as politically motivated and without scientific basis.

The Cass Report commissioned by the United Kingdom's conservative government has resulted in a countrywide ban on gender-affirming care for people enrolled in the National Healthcare System. This report is in stark contrast to every major American medical association which over decades has found that gender-affirming care, for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria, is in fact life-saving.

STATEMENT FROM THE ENDOCRINE SOCIETY: "Medical evidence, not politics, should inform treatment decisions."

"We stand firm in our support of gender-affirming care. Transgender and gender-diverse people deserve access to needed and often life-saving medical care. NHS England’s recent report, the Cass Review, does not contain any new research that would contradict the recommendations made in our Clinical Practice Guideline on gender-affirming care."

Similar sentiments were shared by Dr. Ben Hoffman, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who responded to the Cass Review,

“What we’re seeing more and more is that the politically infused public discourse is getting this wrong and it’s impacting the way that doctors care for their patients. Physicians must be able to practice medicine that is informed by their medical education, training, experience, and the available evidence, freely and without the threat of punishment. Instead, state legislatures have passed bills to ban and restrict gender-affirming care, which means that right now, for far too many families, their zip code determines their ability to seek the health care they need. Politicians have inserted themselves into the exam room, and this is dangerous for both physicians and for families.”

Every major medical association and leading world health authority supports health care for transgender people and youth. They are also increasingly speaking out against the disinformation being spread by opponents of this care.

The following have issued statements in support of health care for transgender people and youth:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

American Academy of Dermatology

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Physician Assistants

American Medical Association

American Nurses Association

American Association of Clinical Endocrinology

American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry

American College Health Association

American College of Nurse-Midwives

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

American College of Physicians

American Counseling Association

American Heart Association

American Medical Student Association

American Psychiatric Association

American Society of Plastic Surgeons

American Society for Reproductive Medicine

American Urological Association

Endocrine Society

Federation of Pediatric Organizations

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality

The Journal of the American Medical Association

National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health

National Association of Social Workers

Ohio Children’s Hospital

Pediatric Endocrine Society

Pediatrics (Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics ) and Seattle Children’s Hospital

Texas Medical Association

Texas Pediatric Society

United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH)

World Health Organization (WHO)

World Medical Association

World Professional Association for Transgender Health

 

The Trans affirming care offered by these medical associations has helped nearly 100,000 transgender US citizens become all that we can be. Given the current political situation that is nothing less than a miracle.

The 2022 USTS (United States Transgender Survey) is the largest survey ever conducted to examine the experiences of binary and nonbinary transgender people in the United States, with an unprecedented 92,329 respondents. The survey was programmed and hosted by Qualtrics, and data collection was managed by Qualtrics throughout the 48-day fielding period.

Nearly all respondents (98%) who were currently receiving hormone treatment reported that receiving hormones for their gender identity/transition made them either “a lot more satisfied” (84%) or “a little more satisfied” (14%) with their life.

One percent (1%) reported that hormones made them “neither more nor less satisfied” with their life, and less than 1% said that they were “a little less satisfied” or “a lot less satisfied” with their lives after receiving hormones.

Dr Cass told PBS in an interview that two metrics, employment, and 'getting out of the house' should used to determine the effectiveness of trans-affirming medical care. However to use those metrics a baseline a society free from transphobia and discrimination would need to be established. This statement by her serves to highlight how politized and removed from reality the Cass review actually is.

Happy Mothers Day Whanau Koutou Katoa

Happy Mother's Day to everyone who cares for another being regardless of your gender.
What is a mother? A mother has given birth to a child or raised one from a different mother. Or you may have brought someone from the LGBTQI community into your home, or a stray or feral creature and cared for them. That's how I, a Westerner define mother..

But are there more mothers out there, and how or where did this tradition of honoring them begin?

The first internet response came from KPOP help on Reddit, so in honoring Asian American and Pasific Islander history month (and my car's AI which told me about it) I will include KPOP's answer.

What does “mother” mean in kpop?
byu/mirawrites inkpophelp

I hear people say it sometimes on Twitter and it’s always westerners, I don’t think there’s an exact equivalent in Korean so it seems to be an English only thing and also mostly American. I know it started out as a term gay men used because it pertained to drag queens in some way (seemed to mean someone who was good/cool but probably more specific than that). Now though I hear it used in kpop forums and even Meghan Trainor released a song about being a mother (which I think she means in the same way) so it’s a little confusing to me how the word has changed and what it means now.

Can someone tell me what it means (specifically in kpop if that’s different from how it’s used generally by westerners) and who are some idols who qualify as that? Thanks!

SifuHallyu answered:

Mother is a term that originated in Ball culture in the 80s. Back when people were being thrown out of their homes for being gay, getting infected with HIV, dying in droves, and rejected by society. Gay people would join a "house" led by a mother. Their called Mother of the house of name. They formed familial units, lived together and performed in Balls. This was also adopted by Drag culture.

If you're interested in the topic watch Paris is Burning, it's a documentary about this. Pose is a realistic three season drama that showcases houses and ballroom culture well. Lastly, Legendary on HBO is a competition show featuring houses that are still active which is very good.

If someone is being called MOTHER, this means they are a boss, in charge, fierce, and have a group around them that they "raise" as their adopted children.

A lot of Kpop idols may be called Mother, but the term really doesn't apply to most idols.

And I'd like to say Happy Mother's Day to my friend from FaceBook, De'Anne Jackson. She is always so supportive of me and nearly always calls me 'mother' which I assumed to be a term of endearment. But apparently, it means a lot more being said by Māori people

De'Anne prefaces all her posts with Whanau Koutou Katoa which is Māori and means "You are all family". Happy Mother's Day Queen Mother De'Anne Jackson. You have done more good than you will ever know.

De'Anne posted this video on her profile page. It's a perfect example of who she is.