By Jim Minnery
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a sweeping, peer-reviewed report that vindicates years of warnings from Alaska Family Council, Christian medical professionals, parental-rights advocates, pro-family groups, and detransitioners like Chloe Cole who was our keynote speaker last week at several events.
For nearly a decade, these voices have been sounding the alarm in legislative hearings, rallies, and expert testimony: puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and irreversible surgeries on minors carry profound risks, including sterilization, cognitive impairment, emotional distress, and permanent physical harm.
Alaskan Democrat lawmakers, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have routinely dismissed those concerns even after the State Medical Board unanimously recommended to the Legislature to stop the procedures. They insisted critics were exaggerating or “fear-mongering.” They pointed to endorsements from powerful medical bodies, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), and claimed they were simply “following the science.”
But last week, HHS confirmed decisively that the science never supported these interventions.
In announcing the findings of Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. issued perhaps the strongest federal condemnation yet of America’s gender-medicalization industry:
“The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics peddled the lie that chemical and surgical sex-rejecting procedures could be good for children. … They betrayed their oath to first do no harm, and their so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ has inflicted lasting physical and psychological damage on vulnerable young people. That is not medicine — it’s malpractice.”
For years, these organizations claimed the evidence was settled. It was not. They argued that “gender-affirming care” reduced suicide risk. HHS now says the data does not support such claims. Legislators insisted puberty blockers were “completely reversible.” The report confirms they are not. Doctors reassured parents that cross-sex hormones were safe. The federal review found long-term dangers, including irreversible infertility.
Most damningly, the report exposes the poor-quality evidence in the studies the AAP, AMA, and WPATH relied on to justify their guidelines—guidelines Alaskan lawmakers have accepted as unquestionable truth.
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, underscored the significance of the review:
“This report marks a turning point for American medicine… . The evidence in it meticulously documents the risks the profession has imposed on vulnerable children. At the NIH, we are committed to ensuring that science, not ideology, guides America’s medical research.”
The federal government has acknowledged what detransitioners, whistleblower clinicians, and parent groups have argued for years: America rushed headlong into an unproven medical experiment, and children paid the price.
Assistant Secretary for Health Brian Christine, MD, voiced the human cost directly:
“What are we going to tell the young people who can’t have children because the medical profession stole that from them? Our report is an urgent wake-up call to doctors and parents about the clear dangers of trying to turn girls into boys and vice-versa.”
That is not rhetoric. It is the lived reality of countless teenagers, including well-known detransitioners like Chloe Cole, who was placed on puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and underwent a double mastectomy, all before adulthood. She is now suing Kaiser Permanente for medical negligence.
These stories are not rare. They are multiplying.
While nations such as the U.K., Sweden, Norway, Finland and, most recently, New Zealand, reversed course after evidence reviews similar to HHS’s, blue states continue to push this medical malpractice on minors. Here in Alaska, with turncoat Republicans continuing to give power to the Democrats, no legislative action has taken place. However, with the State Medical Board drafting their own regulations after the Legislature sat on their hands, there is still hope these much needed protections will make it across the finish line soon.
For years, Alaska Family Council has warned lawmakers that these drugs sterilize children, that these protocols lack safety data and that minors cannot consent to lifelong medical harm. We continue to oppose school-based secrecy policies that keep parents in the dark when kids seek to “transition”, radical sex-ed curriculums, and the ideological capture of Alaska’s medical institutions. The new HHS report confirms that these warnings were not “fear-mongering.”
Alaskan politicians can no longer say they “didn’t know.”
After a signal from the Trump administration about pending malpractice action, several major medical systems announced they would halt new pediatric gender-transition procedures.
Why? Because the science is no longer in dispute. Liability is rising. Evidence of harm is undeniable. This new HHS report will only accelerate that retreat.
The HHS report does not merely expose flawed studies or misguided guidelines. It exposes a system, a network of activist-dominated medical organizations, politically motivated legislators, and ideologically driven institutions, that placed children at risk to advance an agenda.
Now the truth is out. The question is whether Alaska will finally listen.
Will our leaders reverse course, or will they continue promoting the very practices the federal government now acknowledges are unsupported, unsafe, and unethical?
For the sake of our state’s children, and for every parent who has been ignored, dismissed, or silenced, we pray Alaska chooses the path of truth.
Because the evidence is clear. The damage is real. And the moment for moral clarity has arrived.
Jim Minnery is Alaska Family Council’s founder and president and is a board member of LifeWise Academy Anchorage.
All we heard was FOLLOW THE SCIENCE!! FOLLOW THE SCIENCE!!!When there was no science. Same damn thing we were hearing during the covid crap!! They’ve lost all credibility as far as I am concerned.
Dennis, I disagree.
We were following the science. The politicians were following the science. The doctors were following the science.
.
It was just political science they were following, not medical science.
Well played!
Ahh!!! Very true. I must agree.
I find it very difficult to have any faith in the medical industry. They seem to be about 1 thing $$. I’ve also begun to wonder how many people on this planet have absolutely no conscience.
This is good food for thought and what a person takes with them for decisions to be made in the future. For the feds, the testimonies keep going on to finish the work that has degraded medicine and the lives of many. These problems we now know are malicious and destructive. In the state legislative sessions one can watch the poor decisions made by our elected to say yes on votes when they have never taken the time to evaluate any information that says otherwise. Those on the lists for governor have been in those sessions saying yes to irresponsible changes in the law. We are in a good place to really take a chance to change these issues in pur state laws.
Because Americans are so brainwashed they need the government to tell them that hacking little Johnny’s genitals off is morally wrong. Talk about the upside down world.
The average sane adult American knew this alphabet community and transgender stuff was bogus right from the start. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know this. Same thing with the pronoun crazies and covid crap. Those who don’t know this are suffering from either some sort of mental illness, laps in judgement or ideological pursuits. Or being politically pushed by sinister groups on big pharma for financial gain. The fact that it takes pushing from politicians and lawmakers to cram all this crap down sane Americans throats encouraging these loonie folks to get in your face and mandating acceptance should give you a clue. Enough already.
Why does AFC insist on legislation that conflicts with the Alaska Constitution? Perhaps because AFC’s views on gender dysphoria would never prevail as an amendment to the Alaska Constitution.
Hello Frank, thank you for engaging with our content! Must Read Alaska is dedicated to promoting rational, civil dialogue. Could you please provide evidence that the Alaska Constitution permits medical malpractice on minors? Where in our Constitution does it say medical professionals may subject children to life-altering interventions that are unsubstantiated by evidence-based medicine? I kindly suggest reading the full medical report provided at the end of this article. It is incumbent upon us all to protect children, hold healthcare professionals accountable to the highest standard of evidence-based medicine, and reject harmful policies.
Thank you Natalie for your kind response to Frank. Mine wasn’t as eloquent. 🙂
Well done Natalie.
> Evidence-Based Medical Review Reveals Trans-Activists’ Lies
There are a lot of doctors, hospitals, medical institutions, donors and others that ought to be sued into oblivion for their practice, funding or promotion of child mutilation. Also, criminal prosecutions should be on the table.
Well done Natalie! I was worried this column was going to get watered down with Susan’s departure. I like your spice and drive for the truth! Don’t sugarcoat anything with this topic that never should have happened! I too hope all the places that not only enabled but pushed this horrible evil get sued into non-existence.
Natalie, government has no business between an individual and their doctor. Article I, Section 22 of the Alaska Constitution is quite clear. You are entitled to your opinions, your malpractice baiting is a joke.
Article 1, Section 22 states: “The right of the people to privacy is recognized and shall not be infringed. The legislature shall implement this section.” How can this be interpreted to mean that medical professionals may conduct treatments that medical evidence shows harmful to children?
Article 7, Section 4 states: “The legislature shall provide for the promotion and protection of public health.” The government 100% has a responsibility to promote and protect public health. Legislation that allows medical treatments which are not evidence-based but are in fact shown by medical evidence to cause harm directly violates the Constitution’s mandate to protect public health.
Malpractice is when a medical professional’s treatment harms a patient. Calling non-evidence based transgender procedures “malpractice” is not bait, and most certainly not a joke. It is a fact supported by science (again, please read the report provided at the bottom of the article) and it is a very serious issue that causes real-life harm.
Add a deck to me surgery ruins boys lives.
It has all been lunacy. ‘Genes don’t lie” and relying upon ‘feelings’ is not a good substitute for helping a person to embrace reality. I expect there will be many lawsuits to come. The peddlers of lies and confusion went a little too far with the push for gender confusion. Thank you Alaska Family Council for all that you do to support healthy families and truth.
Should we be surprised with this? Truth has always been malleable….How do you want it–poached, over easy…hard boiled? Salted and peppered?
Question for the trans community:
If your genitals do not determine your gender, how does removing them “affirm” your gender?
Excellent question. And the answer is…?
If sex is fungible then why not other immutable characteristics? Race? Ethnicity?
I self identify as a microwave oven, actaully.
I thank God for truth fighters ! A message for those who cause the children to stumble…repent or there will be a millstone necklace waiting .
Gender reassignment can not cure a mental Illness…………
I don’t always agree with Jim Minnery, but this story is right on the money, and was badly needed. Thank you, Jim, for an excellent article. While this situation is decades old, the most recent change came in 2013, when editorial control of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) was largely turned over to a trans activist group (WPATH), who, without any scientific evidence, decided that Gender Identity Disorder was no longer a disorder. Unscrupulous “health care” providers no doubt realized immediately that a virtual gold mine existed in “gender affirming care”. I recently read the book When Harry Became Sally by Ryan T. Anderson. It tells the whole story. People who are pushing this BS on kids should be locked up for child abuse.
Edit: Editorial control of the section of the DSM-5 on Gender Identity Disorder was turned over to WPATH.
Anyone with a brain larger than a frog’s brain already knew this, but that won’t stop the party of hate and violence.
It’s all pagan practices.
Human sacrifice on altars.
Sacrifice babies in the womb – Abortion.
Witch trials and burning at the stake.
Sacrifice the genitals of minor children.
State sponsored and medical community sanctioned Assisted Suicide
All based on high minded ideas.
In reality – that’s the devil, demonic forces, evil – whatever you want to call it.
“It” manifests itself in many different ways and always will.
That’s why Christianity came about….
I can’t figure out why a “trans” person can’t just do what they’ve done for hundreds (thousands?) of years? Just dress like the sex you want, call yourself whatever name you want and pretend to be the opposite sex. Who decided that surgery and/or genital mutilation was a good thing? If you are so sure you’re supposed to be a different gender than just BE the different gender without all the destruction and cost to your body. Then if, heaven forbid, you change your mind or want to have children, there’s no complication to changing your mind.
My heart breaks for not only these young people but for their families that will never see proper grandkids or a rightful legacy! May God have mercy on our land!