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submitted 1 year ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

The Medical University of South Carolina initially said it wouldn’t be affected by a law banning use of state funds for treatment “furthering the gender transition” of children under 16. Months later, it cut off that care to all trans minors.

One Saturday morning in September 2022, Terrence Steyer, the dean of the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, placed an urgent call to a student. Just a year prior, the medical student, Thomas Agostini, had won first place at a university-sponsored event for his graduate research on transgender pediatric patients. He also had been featured in a video on MUSC’s website highlighting resources that support the LGBTQ+ community.

Now, Agostini and his once-lauded study had set off a political firestorm. Conservative activists seized on one line in particular in the study’s summary — a parenthetical noting the youngest transgender patient to visit MUSC’s pediatric endocrinology clinic was 4 years old — and inaccurately claimed that children that young were prescribed hormones as part of a gender transition. Elon Musk amplified the false claim, tweeting, “Is it really true that four-year-olds are receiving hormone treatment?” That led federal and state lawmakers to frantically ask top MUSC leaders whether the public hospital was in fact helping young children medically transition. The hospital was not; its pediatric transgender patients did not receive hormone therapy before puberty, nor does it offer surgical options to minors.

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[-] LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.one 193 points 1 year ago

Dear people who tell LGBT+ people that we shouldn't care what some right-wing nutters think:

This is why we have to care. What they think does affect us, unfortunately.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 126 points 1 year ago

Someone here the other day had the gall to tell me that Trump didn't do anything to oppress LGBT+ people.

They were strangely silent after I showed them this: https://www.hrc.org/news/the-list-of-trumps-unprecedented-steps-for-the-lgbtq-community

[-] webadict@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Gaslight <--

Obstruct

Project

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[-] andros_rex@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

I was going to participate in a navy program that would put me through med school. Then Trump decided to ban folks like me from the military.

As an older trans person, things were better for us before he was in office. It’s exhausting hearing one’s existence debated every fucking day, by folks who have zero idea what they’re talking about. It wasn’t illegal for me to piss at work in 2015, it is now.

I’m an adult trans man who has been on testosterone for more than a decade now, and it’s a fight to stay on my medication. I almost want to live in this fantasy world where doctors just hand out hormones and blockers like candy. But most doctors are terrified - all it takes is your hospital ending up on LibsOfTiktok or something and it’s time for the bomb threats. My medical provider is one of the few that hasn’t left my state, and if he leaves I’m fucked.

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[-] SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 34 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's always "just ignore it, words can't hurt you" until people listen to those words and vote/take action.

No, words matter very much, actually. In fact, I would say words, and language, is the very basis of our civilization. Without language, there would have been nothing.

[-] ShaunaTheDead@kbin.social 109 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I wonder what the same people criticizing trans health care as "mutilation of children" think of intersex babies having genital surgery forced upon them to align their genitals with gender binary ideals.

And just before anyone has a chance to say it, trans healthcare for teens is okay despite them not being able to consent because if they don't choose quickly then one of the options is going to be forced upon them.

It's like a child standing on train tracks with a train speeding toward them and the child expressing that they'd like to get out of the way while people telling them "No! You're not old enough to make that decision!"

[-] prole@sh.itjust.works 51 points 1 year ago

Or how about just circumcision? How is that ok?

[-] Weirdfish@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago

It's not, but it happens to males, so no one cares. I certianly wasn't consulted about it, and have only been ridiculed when I've suggested it should have been my choice.

[-] ashok36@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

You're ridiculed because everyone knows that 99% of men wouldn't choose to be circumcised if they had to do it as an adult. Yet because we do it to babies it's fine.

[-] emptiestplace@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 year ago

Specious.

They were ridiculed because it is easier to make fun of the person causing ethical discomfort than it is to sincerely contemplate one's beliefs.

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[-] TotallynotJessica@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

It isn't. We should stop that too.

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[-] CherenkovBlue@iusearchlinux.fyi 34 points 1 year ago

Intersex genital surgery and circumcision should not occur on children. Adults should be free to choose what they want done to their bodies.

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[-] Rapidcreek@reddthat.com 53 points 1 year ago

I am amazed that health companies are not penalized for discrimination on which human beings they treat. Sorry, but that makes no sense.

[-] Colorcodedresistor@lemm.ee 34 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

the neat part is the American health care system always finds a new way of disappointing everyone.

what's truly upsetting is that the few trans people that may need to go to that hospital for the fastest health care are going to find out the shitty way they've been blacklisted.

there is probably a good legal case against this misinformation but how many trans have the time and energy to fight backdoor politics?

[-] Rapidcreek@reddthat.com 20 points 1 year ago

there is probably a good legal case against this misinformation but how many trans have the time and energy to fight backdoor politics?

That's why I give money to the ACLU

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

Yeah exactly, I’m trying to afford rent and stave off burnout too. I spent years doing activism but I’m almost 30 and I’m exhausted. And even when we do fight we’re a third of a percent of the population and economically disadvantaged before you take into account the expenses of transitioning (fortunately I’m past most of it, but spending my first years out of college saving up for a $20000 surgery was a serious financial hit)

And all this for what? My state government doesn’t give half a shit what we want. I’ll keep trying to vote them out but they realized they don’t even actually have to do what courts say. The courts won’t actually punish the legislature, just the state coffers if that.

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[-] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

Penalized? The people in goverment are bigots who want the hospitals to discriminate.

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This is the private free market at work.

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[-] Cannacheques@slrpnk.net 11 points 1 year ago

Horrible. I don't necessarily advocate for transition as I'm personally neutral on the issue, but I will stand up for anyone seeking medical information or service, this is no longer the cave man times where men bricked each other with boulders when someone was hurt

[-] Ibex0@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

The hospital was not; its pediatric transgender patients did not receive hormone therapy before puberty, nor does it offer surgical options to minors.

Yo, puberty is still pretty young; late elementary school or early middle school.

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this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2023
656 points (95.8% liked)

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