One of the world’s loudest and most successful cheerleaders for gender ideology has been forced into a tactical retreat in an ongoing U.S. court case.
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One → force → case
Anyone mildly familiar with the controversy over “gender affirming” care will be aware that proponents for this medical scandal have insisted that there is to be no debate on trans health care — and that debate is not only tantamount to heresy, but could end the lives or very existence of transgender identified persons.
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debate → affirm → persons
Critics are often met with the refrain, “the science is settled,” when they ask questions about the wisdom or safety of transitioning gender-confused minors.
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they → meet → minors
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Well, that’s over now.
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that → ’ → ?
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), in an application to dismiss a lawsuit, has finally admitted that the debate over gender ideology is very real — and that their guidelines are not so sacred, after all.
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guidelines → dismiss → ideology
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with the states of Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas, filed a lawsuit against WPATH in June.
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Commission → file → June
In a news release announcing the lawsuit, the FTC alleged that WPATH “has provided the means for medical providers to make false and unsubstantiated claims to parents in order to sell pediatric medical transition services.”
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providers → announce → services
“In 2022, WPATH omitted all mention of age limitations for breast amputation or penis removal from the ‘Standards of Care’ document providing the organization’s official recommendations for treating sex-trait-related dissatisfaction or distress in children,” continued the FTC’s statement.
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statement → omit → children
“As alleged in the complaint, WPATH did not base this decision on medical evidence.”
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WPATH → allege → evidence
WPATH has for years been treated as the global authority on transgender care, including in Canada.
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WPATH → treat → Canada
In fact, WPATH names Canada in its court filings as an example of a country that agrees with its “Standards of Care.”
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that → name → Care
These care guidelines contain no lower age limits for surgical treatment and include an entire chapter on the “eunuch” gender identity.
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guidelines → contain → identity
Over the years, WPATH attracted criticism that threw its expertise into question.
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that → attract → question
In March 2024, for example, a non-profit group named Environmental Progress released the “WPATH Files,” which were a series of documents that exposed WPATH members’ uncertainty over informed consent and treatment risks for minors, and the incidence of untreated mental health conditions among patients seeking trans health care.
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that → name → care
In light of the findings within the WPATH Files, Environmental Progress made a similar argument to the FTC: that WPATH “does not meet the standards of evidence-based medicine, and members frequently discuss improvising treatments as they go along.”
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they → make → treatments
It also argued that “WPATH-affiliated doctors are knowingly violating bedrock principles of medical ethics and informed consent.”
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doctors → argue → ethics
It wasn’t until the FTC lawsuit, however, that WPATH had to go on record and admit that it is not the one true arbiter of science.
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it → have → science
Sprinkled throughout WPATH’s motion to dismiss the FTC’s suit are references to its activities as “policy and opinion work,” and written “opinions about subjects on which there is ‘medical and scientific uncertainty.’”
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references → sprinkle → which
The submissions concede, at long last, the existence of “intense medical debate” about pediatric gender care.
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submissions → concede → care
Put differently, WPATH is now admitting that the framing of critics as anti-trans bigots is false.
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framing → put → bigots
In its application to dismiss, WPATH claims to defer to U.S. federalism, that is, each individual state’s authority to create health-care legislation.
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that → dismiss → legislation
After admitting that “variation exists among views on transgender health-care for youth,” WPATH states that “such policy disagreements are federalism in action.”
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disagreements → admit → action
It goes on to argue that the FTC lawsuit is a violation of state legislative power.
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lawsuit → go → power
This is contradicted by several public statements WPATH has issued over the years, including in 2023, when WPATH said that it and its U.S. branch “vehemently oppose the broad and sweeping legislation being introduced and ratified in states across the country to ban access to gender-affirming health care to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people” and “condemn any legislative actions to restrict or prohibit access to gender-affirming health care.”
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it → contradict → care
Of course, the motion to dismiss makes no mention of the inconsistency between WPATH’s conflicting legal and public positions on the right of states to legislate transgender health care.
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motion → dismiss → care
Admittedly, WPATH appears to have a good chance of getting the lawsuit quashed based on its legal argument that the FTC is attempting to infringe upon the non-profit’s First Amendment right to free speech.
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FTC → appear → speech
Americans have excellent speech protections, and it will come as no surprise if WPATH wins on this basis alone (the organization makes several other, less persuasive, arguments as to why the FTC’s lawsuit should be dismissed).
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lawsuit → have → arguments
WPATH has been forced to back away from its “no debate” mantra, revealing the organization as a crumbling edifice of gender ideology.
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WPATH → force → ideology
“WPATH is contributing to the public medical debate regarding transgender healthcare.
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WPATH → contribute → healthcare
If Plaintiffs disagree with WPATH, the ‘remedy to be applied is more speech,’ not enforced silence,” reads the motion to dismiss, quoting another court decision.
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motion → disagree → decision
It’s difficult to feel sympathy for WPATH, which, along with other gender activists, has dominated the culture war by silencing dissent for years.
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which → ’ → years
Now, the organization invokes the old plea of its ideological enemies: to be heard, and to be countered with opposing speech, rather than censorship.
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organization → invoke → censorship
The temptation to gloat — at length — is strong.
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temptation → gloat → length
The FTC lawsuit shone a light on WPATH, and, no matter the legal outcome, WPATH was caught with its pants around its ankles.
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WPATH → shine → ankles
Every physician who follows its guidelines should immediately step back and reconsider the evidence.
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who → follow → evidence
This is a major win for vulnerable youth who are at risk of being caught up in this medical scandal.
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who → catch → scandal
