(LifeSiteNews) — A medical advocacy group called “Do No Harm” has announced a new educational initiative called “Protecting Minors from Gender Ideology” to combat the pernicious effects of transgender ideology in medicine and law and to educate policymakers and the public. According to the group’s January 26 press release, its efforts will focus on “the disastrous consequences of the unproven and often harmful practice known as ‘gender-affirming care,’” which is “based on the premise that children and adolescents know best whether their feelings of discomfort with their bodies should be the grounds for ‘treatment’ with risky and experimental drugs and surgeries.”
Do No Harm will focus on the so-called “affirmative model,” in which clinicians and medical professionals default to simply accepting gender dysphoria in children as evidence of a need for “transition” — socially, chemically (through puberty blockers), or surgically (through double mastectomies, castration, and other surgeries). The “affirmative model” has come under fire in recent years, being rejected by medical professionals in Finland, Sweden, and most recently a report by the U.K.’s National Health Service, triggering a class-action lawsuit from what is assumed will be over 1,000 families over the damage done to their children.
“The movement to promote ‘gender affirming care’ is profoundly dangerous and driven by ideology rather than evidence,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, MD, chairman of Do No Harm. “At their core, medical professionals who support these efforts are violating the Hippocratic oath directive to ‘do no harm’ by ignoring key consequences of this type of ‘care,’ including the fact that underlying mental health concerns are usually not addressed … The procedures themselves can lead to physical impairment, including a lack of bone strength and brain maturation, and the loss of fertility. ‘Gender transitioning’ prior to maturation can lead to sexual dysfunction, including atrophy and necrosis of genital tissue, chronic pain, incontinence, and the inability to orgasm.”
To facilitate the launch, Do No Harm has released a white paper, drafted with the assistance of Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, which details the damage done by these “life-changing medical procedures” and a report that highlights “the different legal requirements for sex change-related treatments and actions between the US and western European countries.” To address these differences, Do No Harm is also advocating for model legislation called “The JUST FACTs Act” (The JUSTice for Adolescent and Child Transitioners Act) to assist policy-makers in protecting children from these practices. The model legislation, according to the press release:
- Prohibits the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgery to treat an inconsistency between a minor’s sex and the minor’s perceived gender or perceived sex.
- Requires school transparency on these issues and prohibits schools from aiding in the transitioning process.
- Limits funding or reimbursement from both public and private sources for these types of treatments.
- Creates private causes of action for damages for minors who are subjected to this treatment that either violates the legislation or causes harm in the future.
To draw attention to the damages caused by the “affirmative model,” Do No Harm is working with not only doctors, parents, and patients, but those who have been hurt by these practices, such as detransitioner Chloe Cole, who underwent a double-mastectomy as a minor and now speaks out on the impact of these “treatments”:
READ: Florida Board of Medicine votes to ban transgender surgeries, drugs for minors
Do No Harm describes itself as “a diverse group of physicians, healthcare professionals, medical students, patients, and policymakers united by an ethical mission: Protect healthcare from a radical, divisive, and discriminatory ideology. They believe in making healthcare better for all – not undermining it in pursuit of a political agenda.” They welcome new members who share their commitment to keeping ideology out of medicine. Recent news indicates that their core message is already resonating, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis consistently stated that “gender-affirming care” is, in fact, “genital mutilation” — and that he will work to ensure that parents and children are protected in Florida. Hopefully, this is merely the beginning of a wider backlash that Do No Harm will assist in taking nationwide.
