According to an article, MSNBC has consistently misrepresented President Trump’s intentions regarding Medicaid’s stance on covering transgender hormone therapies, claiming that the reduction in access to so-called “gender-affirming care” will lead to fatalities.
In “One Big and Beautiful Bill,” which I passed, it ensures that taxpayer funds will not be allocated for hormone treatments for both adults and minors. However, Katelyn Burns, a columnist for MSNBC and who claims to be “the First Openly Transgender Capitol Hill Reporter in American History,” has portrayed a grim narrative about the potential consequences faced by transgender individuals.
Burns states, “For those who have already undergone bottom surgery and rely on hormone replacement therapy for essential sex hormones, the situation is literally life or death, as no one can survive without these hormones.”
A 2005 study referenced by Burns correlates sex hormone levels with mobility issues in older adults, supporting her claim of a “life or death” scenario. While the study notes that “restrictions and loss of mobility can lead to disorders, institutionalization, and death,” it fails to connect this with the use of heterosexual hormones.
Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic provide information on “Gender-Affirming Hormonal Therapy” without suggesting that stopping these hormones leads to death. Individuals might experience withdrawal symptoms, but it is misleading to assert that cessation results in death or fundamentally alters one’s biological makeup.
Moreover, “One Big and Beautiful Bill” does not deny anyone access to “dominant sex hormones” under Medicaid. Burns claims that “postoperative trans people can receive prescriptions for hormones matching their birth sex.” Those on anti-androgens may still access gender-affirming hormones if necessary.
Burns has also overstated the bill’s implications, suggesting it “criminalizes access to gender-affirming hormones for postoperative trans people.” However, the pending legislation does not prohibit same-sex or other hormone therapies; it merely restricts taxpayer funding for certain “gender transition procedures,” such as puberty blockers and surgical alterations.
Identifying as transgender, Burns posits that those deprived of “gender-affirming care” face higher suicide risks. A fellow at the Centre for Ethics and Public Policy, Natanael Blake, pointed out that while individuals identified as trans do have increased suicide risks, this is largely attributable to elevated rates of mental health challenges and trauma rather than a simple matter of being “born in the wrong body.”
A recent report by the US Department of Health and Human Services on pediatric gender dysphoria treatment confirmed that “no independent association exists between gender dysphoria and suicide,” and that “there is no evidence… that pediatric gender transition care reduces suicide rates, which fortunately remain low.” Burns implies that Republicans aim to “exclude trans people from society.”
Despite these facts, Burns selectively highlights parts of the issue to elicit sympathy from readers.
Picture visiting a doctor and hearing that it’s illegal to prescribe medications you’ve relied on for years. Other people — such as those experiencing depression, women going through menopause, or cancer patients — can still receive these medications, but it’s no longer allowed for people like you.
Consider equating cancer treatment with eligibility for heterosexual hormones that could lead to enduring health problems. That’s precisely what MSNBC has done.
For years, media outlets and trans advocacy groups have perpetuated these inaccuracies. As Blake noted last year, the failure to provide solid evidence for “gender-affirming care” leads to increasingly bold fabrications as their arguments falter.
This reflects the choices made by voters in support of Trump. It’s neither scientific nor medical.
Abigail Nichols is a correspondent for The Federalist. She was previously an opinion editor for The Oracle student newspaper at the University of South Florida. Abigail currently serves as a business manager at Spinnaker Media, a student-operated outlet at the University of North Florida, while pursuing her Master’s in Social Work.
Source: thefederalist.com