Florida lawsuit sets out to show how cross-sex hormones and surgeries were normalized by people who misrepresented science

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Earlier this year, in response to Alberta restricting access to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for trans-identified adolescents, “2SLGBTQI” charity Egale Canada said that “all reputable medical associations” agree that gender-affirming care is “medically necessary and often lifesaving.” But recent developments have dealt a severe blow to this claim.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

On Dec. 9, Florida announced a lawsuit against the three core groups responsible for promoting youth gender medicine — the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Endocrine Society — alleging they misled families about the risks and benefits of these experimental interventions and engaged in “racketeering” and fraud.

This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness, verve and wit. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Platformed will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

Built on internal leaks, discovery documents from a separate legal case and rigorous evidence reviews, Florida’s legal complaint tells the story of a medical scandal so astonishing it almost defies belief.

The complaint, filed in court last week, alleges that the groups promoting youth gender medicine engaged in a “coordinated campaign” to develop clinical guidelines pushing a treatment protocol that “irreversibly alters children’s bodies” without credible evidence of safety or benefit. This allegation rests on the findings of a 2024 systematic review of gender medicine guidelines conducted by the University of York as part of the United Kingdom’s Cass Review, which examined the evidence for child transition. The York team’s analysis showed how WPATH and the Endocrine Society manufactured a consensus around the medical treatment of gender-distressed youth, despite the complete absence of reliable science.

Florida’s court filing states that the dubious endeavour started with WPATH’s poorly supported 2001 guidelines, which abandoned its previous age limit on cross-sex hormone use and suggested that gender dysphoric teens could attend school wearing the clothes and using a name from the opposite sex. The next link in the chain came in 2009, when WPATH co-sponsored the Endocrine Society’s guideline, which simply replicated WPATH’s flimsy recommendations. WPATH then closed the loop in 2012 with yet another set of guidelines that relied on........

© National Post