Democrats, activist groups, and medical associations have long cited the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s Standards of Care as the ultimate authority on a scientific “consensus” for sex-rejecting procedures, but WPATH just made an admission in court that threatens to undermine that exalted authority.
The Federal Trade Commission and four state attorneys general sued WPATH in June, alleging that the association engaged in deceptive practices by promoting “gender-affirming care” that causes harm to patients, particularly minors who cannot provide informed consent. Late last month, WPATH urged the court to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that the government was retaliating because it disagreed with the association’s protected speech.
The association defended its Standards of Care as “opinion” protected by the First Amendment on subjects considering “medical and scientific uncertainty” in a debate with more than one reasonable position. The group also cited a Supreme Court ruling that upheld state laws forbidding “gender-affirming care“—a decision WPATH itself has loudly condemned in the past.
Hellbound and Down 