Colorado Christian Therapist Takes Conversion Therapy Ban To High Court
Most mental health care providers say conversion therapy is harmful, and more than 20 states have implemented a ban, according to The Washington Post. In other news, HHS opens investigations on four medical schools; a study on menstruation loses it funding after being mis-defined as transgender; and more.
The Washington Post:
Colorado Ban On Conversion Therapy For Minors Gets Supreme Court Review
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up a Christian therapist’s challenge to a state law barring “conversion therapy” that attempts to change a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Kaley Chiles, who practices in Colorado, says the state law banning such treatment is unconstitutional and has forced her to deny counseling to potential clients who share her faith, in violation of her religious beliefs. (Marimow, 3/10)
More on gender-affirming care and DEI —
Modern Healthcare:
HHS Launches DEI Investigation Into 4 Medical Schools, Hospitals
The Health and Human Services Department is investigating four medical schools and hospitals on allegations of discrimination in their medical education, training or scholarship programs. The agency said Friday it received complaints the four HHS-backed institutions, which were not identified, allegedly chose participants based on race, sex, color or national origin, violating an executive order President Donald Trump signed Jan. 21, his second day in office. (DeSilva, 3/10)
ProPublica:
National Cancer Institute Employees Can’t Publish Information On These Topics Without Special Approval
Employees at the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, received internal guidance last week to flag manuscripts, presentations or other communications for scrutiny if they addressed “controversial, high profile, or sensitive” topics. Among the 23 hot-button issues, according to internal records reviewed by ProPublica: vaccines, fluoride, peanut allergies, autism. While it’s not uncommon for the cancer institute to outline a couple of administration priorities, the scope and scale of the list is unprecedented and highly unusual, said six employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. (Waldman and Song, 3/10)
The 19th:
Hospitals Continuing Intersex Surgeries As They Stop Gender-Affirming Care
For many Americans, planning a doctor’s appointment comes with logistical headaches: taking a day off from work; scheduling months in advance; dealing with insurance coverage and related costs. For Emory Hufbauer, it also involves a seven-hour cross-country flight. Hufbauer is intersex, meaning they were born with sex characteristics that don’t fit neatly into the binary of male or female. As an infant, they were subjected to procedures that assigned them a sex. They have long struggled to find health care needed as a result of these procedures in their state of Kentucky, where they advocate to bring that care and help others navigate it. (Rodriguez and Sosin, 3/10)
The Washington Post:
Doctors Say Trump’s Orders Targeting Trans Patients Threaten Their Safety
Panic buttons, security cameras and active-shooter drills: Those are some of the ways doctors who treat transgender children have armed themselves when facing violent threats over the years. Now doctors say threats of violence are rising — along with fears of legal action — in the wake of Trump’s Jan. 28 executive order that labeled gender transition care for minors a “dangerous trend” and “a stain on our Nation’s history.” Dozens of providers gave sworn affidavits as part of a lawsuit four states filed challenging the legality of Trump’s executive order. (Parks, 3/9)
CBS News:
DOGE Mischaracterizes A Study As Transgender, And USDA Cancels It
Last Friday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated on X that a $600,000 grant to Southern University in Louisiana was being revoked for studying "menstrual cycles in transgender men," in the latest mischaracterization of a grant that was then canceled by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency team, known as DOGE. ... The grant was actually intended for research on the potential health risks posed by synthetic feminine hygiene products and for developing alternatives using natural fibers and fabrics, according to the project's documentation, which was publicly filed on the USDA website. (Ruetenik, 3/10)
