The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the nation's leading pediatric medical association, has worked “very closely” with transgender medical activist groups to promote sex-reassignment surgery for children, according to emails obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Many Republican-led states have recently passed protective bills banning minors from undergoing experimental procedures such as puberty-blocking drugs and genital surgery, as a growing body of evidence casts doubt on the validity of child sex reassignment. Australian Airlines In secret partnership with the World Professional Association on Transgender Health (WPATH), Wide Criticized For pushing transgender ideology over sound medical science.

WPATH is a small but influential transgender medical organization that issues clinical guidelines for the gender transition industry. Standards of CareTheir controversial guidelines recommend that children undergo fertility treatments and irreversible sex-change interventions, such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and sex-reassignment surgery. (Related article: WPATH Tapes: Behind-the-scenes recordings reveal what top gender doctor really thinks about sex-reassignment surgery)

of Cast ReviewThe recently published report, WPATH Standards of Care, commissioned by the UK's National Health Service (NHS) to develop evidence-based recommendations for the care of gender-confusing young people, cast doubt on the reliability of the WPATH Standards of Care and noted a lack of “developmental rigor.”

AAP and WPATH have worked together in the past. multiple Amicus Brief Emails obtained by the DCNF, which supports legal challenges to the child sex change ban, reveal that the two organizations worked much closer together in lobbying for access to sex reassignment surgery for children across the country. (Related: Private footage reveals major medical organizations' efforts to “normalize” gender ideology)

Members of both groups regularly collaborated and, in some cases, devised strategies to combat anti-child gender reassignment policies.pathAAP, a local subsidiary of WPATH, wrote that it is the organization's “goal” to expand its partnership with AAP.

An AAP spokesperson confirmed the collaboration between AAP and WPATH.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) regularly partners with U.S. allied medical and mental health associations, including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), and international health organizations on a wide range of health issues,” the spokesperson said. “While this collaboration is important, the AAP, like other peer associations, develops its own policy guidance.”

DCNF obtained emails between WPATH and AAP leaders through a public records request. West Virginia University (WVU) Here Dr. Casey Kidd and Dr. Lisa Costello He is an assistant professor in the university's School of Medicine.

Kid USPATH Board Member And that Chief Physician Costello is a physician in the Gender and Sexual Development Clinic at West Virginia University Medical Children's Hospital and a member of the AAP. State Government Affairs Committee — “Coordinate all state legislative and regulatory matters relating to pediatrics” — and West Virginia Medical Association.

In December 2023, the AAP Internal Memo Members who serve in leadership positions or work on policy have said they must refrain from using work emails for AAP business due to privacy concerns, including the fact that emails are subject to Freedom of Information requests (FOIA).

WPATH, West Virginia University, Kidd, Hudson and Costello did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

“Strong Partner”

Documents obtained by DCNF indicate a closeness and collaboration between AAP and WPATH, and in many cases the organizations appeared to share the same policy goals.

for example, Jeff HudsonIn an email to Kidd and USPATH President Madeline Deutsch, AAP's manager of child welfare initiatives, called WPATH a “strong partner” in the organization's legal challenge to the pediatric gender reassignment ban.

“WPATH has been and will continue to be a strong partner in our amicus brief strategy to support challenges to state bans on gender-affirming care for TGD youth, and we appreciate your continued engagement with us on the matter,” Hudson wrote.

“TGD Youth” is an abbreviation for transgender and gender diverse youth. AAP Publications.

“Gender reassignment care” is a euphemism often used by activists to describe the use of puberty-suppressing drugs, cross-sex hormones and sex-reassignment surgery on gender-confused individuals, including children.

Hudson wrote that she has been in direct contact with WPATH President Marcy Bowers about “opportunities to collaborate.”

“I have been in direct contact with Dr. Bowers and we are exploring opportunities for working together,” Hudson wrote.

Hudson also wrote that he worked “very closely” with WPATH leaders and “got to know them.” LeadershipIn December 2022, Hudson received the AAP Pursuit of Excellence award for his pedophile rights advocacy work. LinkedIn Post.

Bowers and Deutsch did not respond to requests for comment.

September 2022, Kid They wrote Costello a letter asking for his help in connecting WPATH leadership with AAP leadership.

“I am currently attending a WPATH meeting in Montreal where WPATH and USPATH leaders have asked gender-care pediatricians to join with AAP leaders in helping to build more communication and support for pediatricians who care for transgender and gender diverse youth,” Kidd wrote.

Costello connected Mr Kidd with AAP leaders through emails. Jamie PosloskiJeff Hudson, vice president of strategic communications.

In one email, Kidd told Poslosky, Hudson and USPATH President Madeline Deutsch that it was WPATH's goal to partner with the AAP on messaging about pediatric gender reassignment surgery.

“It is the goal of USPATH, and the larger international organization WPATH, to partner with the AAP and other medical and mental health organizations that serve children and their families to develop joint or coordinated messaging to support pediatricians and hospitals who care for transgender and gender diverse youth,” Kidd wrote.

Posloski did not respond to a request for comment.

Hudson arranged a meeting with Kidd to talk about his experiences working with pedophile doctors. A few months later, Kidd AAP March 2023 Advocacy Conference in Washington DC

Kid workshop The conference, titled “Advocating for Evidence-Based Medicine: Gender Reassignment Medicine,” was scheduled to discuss the growing number of legislation banning pediatric gender reassignment surgeries, as well as “advocacy strategies to address this issue, information to debunk myths and misinformation, and messaging recommendations for speaking to state legislators.”

On March 28, 2023, the final day of the AAP advocacy conference, the pediatricians traveled by bus to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers. Meeting DatesSocial Media Series Posts show Kid and Costello He met with lawmakers while wearing the mask Australian Airlines Advocacy Button.

The DCNF published “The WPATH Tapes,” an in-depth study of approximately 30 hours of recordings of WPATH meetings obtained through public records requests. Exclusive Video The investigation revealed that top WPATH physicians openly discussed and at times appeared to disagree with the organization's published guidelines for sex-reassignment surgery behind closed doors, acknowledging that they were promoting experimental medical interventions that could cause devastating and irreversible complications.

The tapes also document WPATH officials pressuring members to “normalize” gender ideology, particularly in schools. WPATH leaders promoted beliefs that were at odds with long-established scientific understanding of human biology, such as asserting that sex is “non-binary.” Additionally, WPATH members were encouraged to prioritize things like “justice for transgender people” over scientific evidence when considering treatment.

“Very influential”

The emails between the AAP and WPATH are just the latest example of transgender activist groups and prominent medical associations working together to promote child sex-reassignment surgery.

For example, the AAP's Child Gender Reassignment Policy Statement cites the WPATH Standards of Care, which endorse puberty suppressants, cross-sex hormones, and sex-reassignment surgery for minors.

of Cast Review Despite their lack of “rigor,” the WPATH standards of care have proven to be the basis for nearly all other guidelines in the field of transgender medicine.

“[WPATH] The Cass Review noted that “although the Endocrine Society guidelines were judged by the University of York's evaluation process to lack formulation rigor, they have been highly influential in shaping international practice,” and that “two early versions of the international guidelines, Endocrine Society 2009 and WPATH 7, have influenced virtually all other guidelines.”

Although several European countries have halted child sex change practices in the wake of the Cass Review, neither the AAP nor WPATH have withdrawn their support for such procedures.

WPATH and path release Three-page statement While disputing the Cass report's findings, the AAP has remained somewhat coy about the report's findings. AAP President Dr. Benjamin Hoffman said the organization has reviewed the Cass report and “added it to the evidence base that is undergoing systematic review,” according to The New York Times. report.

“I urge my pediatric colleagues at the AAP to stand up to AAP leadership and end the harmful protocols they are recommending for children struggling with their biological sex,” Dr. Jill Simmons, executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ACP), told DCNF.

The ACP called for an immediate end to pediatric sex-change treatment. declarationThe ACP said the WPATH guidelines are “clearly flawed and following their protocols could result in harm to pediatric patients.” The ACP has called on American medical associations, including the AAP, to distance themselves from the WPATH recommendations.

“WPATH has been stripped of its pretenses,” Simmons said. “They are not a professional organization, they are not based in science, and we should not rely on them to write medical protocols for pediatric patients.”

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