Transgender Archives – Christian Medical & Dental Associations® (CMDA)

Escaping Death

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12, ESV).

New Documentary Released on the Rush to Reassign Gender

In keeping with their history of producing eye-opening documentaries taking highly controversial societal trends head on, The Center for Bioethics and Culture (CBC) recently released a film on gender affirming therapy titled Trans Mission: What’s the Rush to Reassign Gender? Running just under 52 minutes, the feature presents activists, healthcare professionals, educators, parents and the patients themselves—among others—regarding “the medical and surgical transitioning of children.” The guests exhibit varied points of view, and they include members of both CMDA and the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds).

SOCE Reduces Suicidality in a New Study

What if another study came to print asserting that sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) constituted harmful stressors to sexual minorities? What if a published letter to the editor in the same journal exposed gaping holes in the assessment? What if a reanalysis of the original study “in the strongest representative sample to date of sexual minority persons” revealed polar opposite findings: SOCE “strongly reduces suicidality” and that restrictions on SOCE may “deprive sexual minorities of an important resource for reducing suicidality, putting them at substantially increased suicide risk.” Now that would be something! And these things happened!

Federal Court Strikes Down Transgender Mandate, Protects Medical Judgment and Conscience

A federal court has provided protections for physicians committed to following medical evidence and conscience convictions regarding the transgender and gender-questioning patients for whom they care.

UK High Court Rules Puberty Blockers Experimental, Minors Cannot Consent

In a stunning decision with international implications, the United Kingdom’s High Court ruled December 12 in Bell vs. Tavistock that puberty blockers (PB) and cross-sex hormone (CSH) use in gender dysphoric minors was experimental and should not, in most cases, be given to children under 16 without court order, adding that such petitioning was also advisable for 16 to 17 year olds. They clarified that the consent issue was not about the breadth and depth of information the minors were given, but that “There is no age appropriate way to explain to many of these children what losing their fertility or full sexual function may mean to them in later years.”

HHS Addresses “Transgender Mandate” in New Rule…but Supreme Court Redefines “Sex Discrimination”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on June 12 that it had “finalized a rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that maintains vigorous enforcement of federal civil rights laws on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, and sex, and restores the rule of law by revising certain provisions that go beyond the plain meaning of the law as enacted by Congress.”

Mental Health Advocacy for Gender Dysphoric Youth

British general practitioner Sally Howard wondered in The BMJ, “…the significant majority of children do resolve their gender ID in favour of their natal sex by adulthood. Where is the advocacy for the mental health needs of that majority?” Where, indeed.

The Misuses of Professional Medical Journals

I came across two journal articles in November that grabbed my attention. One was in The Lancet, while the other was in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS), which is my general surgery specialty’s journal. These articles further opened my eyes to the pollution of medical science by political ideologies. Some of you may be thinking, “Hey, Chupp, where have you been?!”

How CMDA Made an Impact in Washington in 2019

Since CMDA opened its Washington, D.C. federal public policy ministry office in 2000, God has opened doors for influence that have far exceeded all that we could ask or imagine. The following few highlights of last year (organized by months, with the most recent first) illustrate how God is using this ministry to advance kingdom values in our government.

CMDA Court Cases: Good News and Bad News

This month’s blog provides updates on two Christian Medical & Dental Associations federal lawsuits. The following case updates are information and help for healthcare professionals who have experienced discrimination on the basis of their faith and conscience.

Message at Supreme Court: Constitution Protects Both Minority and Majority Viewpoints

I recently spoke outside the Supreme Court in the face of raucous protests on the day of oral arguments in a case involving transgender individuals and alleged sex discrimination, R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Speeches had resumed outside the court after a bomb scare had prompted police to clear the area.

The Emperor’s New Genders: A 911 Call for Christians in Healthcare

This is my first opportunity to write for The Point since joining CMDA’s executive team in September 2016. That was a huge transitioning summer for my family, moving from Tenwek Hospital in Kenya to Bristol, Tennessee by way of St. Joseph, Michigan, where I had been a general surgeon partner in a multispecialty practice for 23 years.

The “Parent Resource Guide” for the Trans Movement

The “Parent Resource Guide: Responding to the Transgender Issue” is a just-released project of the Minnesota Family Council available gratis at www.GenderResourceGuide.com. Print copies can be purchased as well.
It is endorsed by organizations right (Heritage Foundation and Family Policy Alliance), center (Kelsey Coalition and Parents of ROGD Kids) and left (Women’s Liberation Front). Their stated common concerns are the “negative consequences that result when society regards bodily sex as irrelevant,” and the belief that “public schools should never feel pressured to force boys and girls to sacrifice their bodily privacy, promote unscientific theories about human biology, or celebrate ideas that place young children on a path to chemical sterilization or cosmetic ‘gender confirmation’ surgery.” I was honored to be one of many who were invited to help shape its content.

Reinforcing Children’s Sexual Identity: A Review of Ellie Klipp’s I Don’t Have to Choose

Parents have asked if I could recommend any books to safeguard young children against trans-ideology. Their concern is well founded. Pro-trans indoctrination is ubiquitous, its repetition tireless and rebuttals are punished. The educational system from pre-K right on through, television, print, social media and much of the web broadcast the siren song of gender fluidity and trans identity.

Can Transgender Activism Silence Science?

Vice President for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody discusses the lawsuit CMDA has been involved in regarding the transgender mandate, and how a new rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected soon.

Transing California Foster Children & Why Doctors Like Us Opposed It

California’s AB2119 should not be law. Signing the bill is a triumph of ideology posing as science. Human beings should be affirmed, not false identities and sexual confusion.

HIV Education and How Not To Do It

A few landmines are lurking in the field of our state’s educational laws. California Education Code 51931 “definitions” section details that only “medically accurate” information can be taught. Seemingly fair enough. Also, Code 51933 states: “(4) Instruction and materials shall not reflect or promote bias against any person on the basis of any category protected by Section 220.

Christian Doctor’s Digest – June 2018

In this month’s podcast, Dr. David Stevens chats with Dr. Walt Larimore about how to build a spiritual team in your practice, as well as about Grace Prescriptions. Next, Dr. Ryan Anderson joins him as he shares about his new book When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment.

Christian Doctor’s Digest – May 2018

In this month’s episode…

A Review of “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts, Professional Psychology, and the Law”

An an article released in the BYU Journal of Public Law, Dr. Christopher Rosik examines the history of sexual orientation change effort/therapy (SOCE) bans and what they reveal about the interplay of professional psychology, political advocacy and cultural change. In this blog post, Dr. Andre Van Mol reviews his findings and how these bans affect healthcare professionals.

How We Got Where We Are: Same-Sex Reproduction

In the realm of sexual reproduction, the idea of in vitro fertilization, a technological (and for many an ethical) impossibility years ago, is now commonplace. And, as foreseen in the futuristic movie Gattaca, it may someday become the standard method of reproduction.

Three California Bills Needing Attention

There are three bills pending in the California Assembly that beg your attention and action. They clearly seem intended to stand as national models. Dr. Andre Van Mol provides a brief on these bills, followed by talking points regarding their problems and where to lodge your protests.

“My Child is Transgender. Make Her a Son.” Guidance for the Doctor.

A mother brings in her 10-year-old daughter because she identifies as male and wishes to promptly begin transitioning. Your advice is not solicited, just your authorization for the consult to get the process moving quickly.

In Defense of Healthy Children: Recent Papers Expose the Truths About Dangerous Gender Dysphoria Treatments

According to new research by three expert physicians from Johns Hopkins, the most popular therapies to treat gender dysphoria in children are dangerous and biased. CMA Government Relations Fellow Anne Foster dives into this topic and how this should impact parents making their children’s health decisions.

CMDA Wins Temporary Injunction in Texas Transgender Mandate Lawsuit

Moments ago, a Texas court protected the rights of families and their doctors to make medical decisions for their child free from government bureaucrats’ interference.

Federal Policy Top Priorities in 2017

The Washington Office of CMDA focuses on the fundamental issues of the right to life and freedom of faith, conscience and speech, which serve as the foundation for all other rights and freedoms. Here are some of the top priorities for the new year.

When Pro-Gay Science is Anti-Gay

A study in last month’s Social Science & Medicine reported not being able to replicate the results of Columbia University study showing a shorter life expectancy for LGBT individuals who face prejudice. In this week’s blog, Dr. Andrè Van Mol says it’s another case of non-reproducible results broadcast globally to ideological ends.

Transgender Identification

CMDA affirms the historic and enduring Christian understanding of humankind as having been created male and female. CMDA has concerns about recent usage of the term “gender” to emphasize an identity other than one’s biological sex, that is, a sense of self based on subjective feelings or desires of identifying more strongly with the opposite sex or with some combination of male and female.

Christian Doctor’s Digest – October 2016

Preparing us as wise Christians to fight some of the evils in our world. Charles Fay discusses how to guide our children in making good digital decisions as they interact with the web and electronic devices. Allan Josephson, MD explores the issues surrounding the Transgender movement and how it affects every healthcare professional. Albert Mohler delves into the issue of Right of Conscience, how to approach it and how to applies to ourselves and our patients.

What you need to know and do about the new HHS transgender mandate

The transgender mandate, promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the assumed authority of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), went into effect July 18, 2016.

Doctors, States challenge new “Transgender regulation”

“No doctor should be forced to perform a procedure that he or she believes will harm a child,” said Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. “Decisions on a child’s medical treatment should be between families and their doctors, not dictated by politicians and government bureaucrats.”

Christian Doctor’s Digest – August 2016

Changes are occurring in our world today. Karl Benzio, MD discusses the Transgender issue and the changes that result from it. Robert Lerer, MD shares about the changes in Cuba as the US Government opens the door for travel and the opportunities that presents. Peter Anderson, MD opens his book Lost & Found that was written to assist our patients with all the changes to the practice of medicine, including Electronic Medical Records.

Navigating transgender issues requires mutual respect and civility-not government mandates

The 17,000-member Christian Medical Association (CMA, www.cmda.org) today issued a membership-approved statement calling for “Christian healthcare professionals to care for patients struggling with gender identity with sensitivity and compassion” while being “permitted to question transgender dogma-free from exclusion, oppression, or unjust discrimination.”

Doctors Impacted by New Obamacare Gender Rules

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act cites decades-old federal laws that prohibit any individual from being denied benefits or discriminated against in any health program or federally funded activity on the basis of race, color, nationality, sex, disability and age. However, the Office of Civil Rights is now interpreting “sex” to include “gender identity” and “sex stereotypes.”

Obama Advancing Gender Ideology Through Regulations

This proposed rule, if implemented, would endanger religious liberty and create concerns for the privacy and safety of our most vulnerable citizens: the homeless and other people seeking emergency shelter for the night.

Gender: M or F or Other—Transgender Insights

Transgenderism is a hot topic in today’s culture. We feel it is important to respond appropriately in a Christian manner when faced with this topic of discussion, as well as when dealing with it in the healthcare profession.

Shaping Your Worldview

Four years ago, the inauguration of the first African-American president in United States history closed with a benediction from Pastor Rick Warren. Warren, author of the bestselling Purpose Driven Life, might be the most well-known evangelical pastor in America. Among the things well known about Warren at the time of his inaugural invitation was his stance on the definition of marriage.

Sexual Orientation Change Efforts in the Ideological Lions’ Den

In September 2012, California became the first U.S. state to ban therapeutic sexual orientation conversion efforts (SOCE) involving minors. “[SOCE] . . . has resulted in much harm, including a number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth committing suicide.