An online campaign of transphobic misinformation has led to a barrage of threats targeting Boston Children’s Hospital doctors and staff who care for transgender kids.
“We are deeply concerned by these attacks on our clinicians and staff fueled by misinformation and a lack of understanding and respect for our transgender community,” Boston Children’s said it a statement issued this past Tuesday.
Reports the Boston Globe:
The targeted clinicians work in the hospital’s Gender Multispecialty Service Program, where they care for children and young adults with gender dysphoria, a condition in which people identify with a sex that’s different from the one assigned at birth.
Such “gender-affirming care” has become a flashpoint on the far right, which falsely accuses caregivers of “carving up” children to change their sex. In fact, gender-affirming care starts with prolonged counseling, sometimes followed by hormonal treatments and surgery. Contrary to the online accusations, Boston Children’s said it does not perform genital surgery on people under age 18. The hospital does breast surgery on children as young as 15 in certain circumstances and with parental consent.
Doctors associated with the clinic did not respond to requests for comment, and the hospital did not make anyone available for an interview.
“We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms, and we reject the false narrative upon which they are based,” the hospital’s statement said. “We are working with law enforcement to protect our clinicians, staff, patients, families, and the broader Boston Children’s community and hold the offenders accountable. We will continue to take all appropriate measures to protect our people.”
Read the complete Boston Globe story here.
In 2007, Boston Children’s established the nation’s first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program. For the past nine years, Boston Chidren’s has been ranked the number one pediatric hospital in the country by US News and World Report.
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