(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Missouri AG Bailey's investigation into WashU Transgender Center serves to stoke anti-trans animus [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-09 This afternoon, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) announced that he was investigating the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital after whistleblower Jamie Reed released details on the goings on at the hospital in right-wing grifter Bari Weiss’s The Free Press Substack in order to stoke up anti-trans animus against gender-affirming care. Right-wing media outlets and GOP politicians are following The Free Press’s lead in using this story to stoke further anti-trans extremism and attacks on gender-affirming care providers falsely asserting that providing such services are “harming” children. Bailey was appointed Missouri Attorney General in November 2022 to replace now-Senator Eric Schmitt (R) as a result of Schmitt’s win in the Senate race to replace the retired Sen. Roy Blunt (R). Washington University responds to The Free Press story: We are alarmed by the allegations reported in the article published by The Free Press describing practices and behaviors the author says she witnessed while employed at the university’s Transgender Center. We are taking this matter very seriously and have already begun the process of looking into the situation to ascertain the facts. As always, our highest priority is the health and well-being of our patients. We are committed to providing compassionate, family-centered care to all of our patients and we hold our medical practitioners to the highest professional and ethical standards. Kacen Bayless and Maia Bond at Kansas City Star: Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Thursday announced his office has for two weeks been investigating a St. Louis center for transgender kids after a former employee alleged that the center harmed children. Bailey made the announcement after the website The Free Press published an article from a former employee who criticized the center — the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital — for providing gender-affirming care to young girls. The website was founded by Bari Weiss, a former New York Times columnist who frequently rallies against progressive-leaning issues. “During my time at the center, I personally witnessed center healthcare providers lie to the public and to parents of patients about the treatment, or lack of treatment, and the effects of treatment provided to children at the center,” Jamie Reed, former case manager at the center said in an affidavit. [...] In her affidavit, Reed alleged that the center excessively provides hormone therapy to mentally ill children without first properly treating their underlying mental health issues. Reed also claimed that the center misleads the public and parents about the therapy services provided, and alleged that it prescribes hormone therapy for children without obtaining parental consent, or bullies parents into consenting. The website for the center highlights available treatments like hormone therapy, puberty blockers and voice and speech therapy, with an emphasis on prioritizing individualized plans for each patient. KMOV: ST. LOUIS (KMOV) -- Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched an investigation into the Washington University Pediatric Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, alleging staff there have harmed hundreds of kids. Bailey launched the investigation two weeks ago after a whistleblower who worked there as a case manager claimed the center was causing permanent harm to its patients. A sworn affidavit released Thursday identifies the whistleblower as Jamie Reed, who worked at the center from 2018 until November 2022. Annelise Hanshaw at Missouri Independent: Robert Fischer, director of communications for PROMO, Missouri’s largest LGBTQ advocate, said his organization has heard positive patient testimony about the Transgender Center. “Through PROMO’s work, we have heard dozens upon dozens of positive personal stories from transgender and gender non-conforming youth and families about the ethic of care they’ve received throughout their time at the Washington University Transgender Center,” Fischer said. “We’ve also sat in rooms with over 30 parents who have shared stories about how their children thrived when they received interdisciplinary, holistic care from a team of providers at the [center],” he continued. “We have no insight into these allegations and accusations from one person.” Michele Munz at St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Washington University, in a statement Thursday, said it was alarmed by Reed’s allegations, and it was also investigating. Element removed “We are taking this matter very seriously and have already begun the process of looking into the situation to ascertain the facts,” the statement read. [...] The transgender center opened in 2017, with one arm serving adults older than 18, and the other located at St. Louis Children’s Hospital serving children and adolescents. The center provides gender-affirming care to those who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary or genderqueer. [...] Treatment options include adjustments in gender expression (such as use of pronouns, makeup, hair, voice, clothing or behavior), puberty blockers, hormone therapy and referrals to psychologists and therapists. Puberty blockers pause the physical changes of growing up. With hormone therapy, transgender girls receive estrogen and transgender boys, testosterone. Hormone therapy helps transgender girls develop breasts and wider hips; transgender boys, facial hair and a deeper voice. Some, but not all, of the changes are reversible if the patient goes off hormones. St. Louis trans group TransParent releases a statement on Bailey’s “investigation”, via KMOV’s Alexis Zotos’s Twitter: x Statement from TransParent on the investigation into the clinic. pic.twitter.com/rmgKJT6d9A — Alexis Zotos (@alexiszotos) February 10, 2023 LGBTQ+ organization PROMO on WashU Transgender Center, via Jason Hancock’s Twitter: x . @PROMOMissouri says it has heard "dozens upon dozens of positive personal stories from transgender and gender non-conforming youth and families about the ethic of care" at Washington University Transgender Center. #moleg #mosen via @AnneliseHanshawhttps://t.co/eBW9i20iay — Jason Hancock (@J_Hancock) February 9, 2023 This “investigation” is part of the war on gender-affirming care on trans and gender-nonconforming youths and adults, aimed especially at children’s hospitals. Coincidentally, Missouri has numerous anti-trans bills waiting in the wings to be voted on and become law. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/9/2152149/-Missouri-AG-Bailey-s-investigation-into-WashU-Transgender-Center-serves-to-stoke-anti-trans-animus Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/