WPATH’s court filings revealed several concerning issues with the organization’s guidelines for transgender care. One email expressed concerns from Levine’s chief of staff about specific minimum ages listed in the guidelines, fearing that it could lead to harmful legislation for transgender care. The email suggested removing the specific ages from the guidelines to make them less visible and avoid potential negative outcomes.
Another email highlighted that the recommended ages for gender-affirming medical and surgical interventions were consensus-based but were ultimately removed from the guidelines. The court filings also revealed a 12-point strategic plan to promote the new guidelines, acknowledging gaps in the evidence supporting their recommendations and the need for further research.
Additional emails indicated that WPATH considered altering the language of the guidelines to address concerns that phrases like “insufficient evidence” and “limited data” could be used by lawmakers to restrict medical interventions for minors. The filings also mentioned the American Academy of Pediatrics potentially opposing the guidelines if minimum age recommendations were maintained.
Despite these revelations, WPATH did not provide a comment in response to requests from CNA.
