Gender transition of minors is bad medicine. So says the Alaska State Medical Board, which unanimously adopted a statement urging the Alaska Legislature to outlaw chemical castration and surgical gender transition treatments for minors.
The statement, sent to all 60 members of the Legislature, reflects growing national scrutiny over such interventions.
The Board’s statement was signed by Board Chair Dr. Brent Taylor and Legislative Liaison Dr. Matt Heilala. It said:
“The Alaska State Medical Board opposes hormonal and surgical treatments for gender dysphoria in minors due to insufficient evidence of long-term benefits and risks of irreversible harm. We view these interventions as lacking legitimacy as standard medical practice for those under the age of 18 years old. We support legislative limits on such treatments and promote psychological support and counseling as safer alternatives. This reflects our duty to protect patients and uphold evidence-based care.”
The Board of Medicine’s statement aligns with measures taken by multiple states across the country, where concerns about the irreversible nature of gender transition treatments for minors have led to legislative bans. The medical board’s position echoes arguments presented by many in the medical and policy communities who cite potential long-term physical and psychological complications arising from puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender-affirming surgeries.
“Alaska Family Council has been working tirelessly on this issue for some time and was privileged in 2023 to bring up Chloe Cole, a national voice on the harms of sex change medical procedures, to shed light on this matter and encourage people to take a stand against this madness,” the group reported Saturday.
Alaska has not been on the forefront of protecting children. But President Donald Trump reinforced this stance with an Executive Order earlier this year, stating, “Countless children soon regret that they have been mutilated and begin to grasp the horrifying tragedy that they will never be able to conceive children of their own or nurture their children through breastfeeding. Moreover, these vulnerable youths’ medical bills may rise throughout their lifetimes, as they are often trapped with lifelong medical complications, a losing war with their own bodies, and, tragically, sterilization.”
The growing body of research cited in policy discussions includes more than 60 studies challenging claims that puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender reassignment surgeries improve long-term mental health outcomes for minors or that they prevent suicides. Some like Chloe Cole argue these procedures pose severe risks, particularly for children who may not have the cognitive maturity to make life-altering medical decisions, as happened to her when she was a preteen and teen. She is now a champion for protecting children from what happened to her.
Despite ASMB’s strong recommendation, legislative action remains uncertain due to the current heavy Democratic and liberal composition of Alaska’s state government. With Democrats holding control of both the House and Senate, the likelihood of a bill passing to ban these procedures appears low.
In early 2024, Republican Rep. Jamie Allard introduced a bill seeking to hold medical professionals legally accountable for performing gender transition treatments on minors. The bill received just one hearing in the House Judiciary Committee, but she could not get enough Republicans to sign it.
The governor could have introduced a bill to ban the procedures but did not.
Given the potential legislative gridlock, the medical board may collaborate with Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor and the Department of Law to explore regulatory measures that could impose restrictions on medical providers who offer gender transition treatments to minors.
These efforts could mirror actions taken in Florida, where the state’s Board of Medicine became the first in the country to prohibit puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender-affirming surgeries for minors. Following that decision, the Florida Legislature solidified the policy by passing a statewide ban, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law.
“…could not get enough Republicans to sign it.” Any “Republicans” who would not sign such a bill should be labeled democrats, and we should relentlessly call them out as democrats whenever possible.
The Alaska Board of Medicine “adopts regulations to carry out the laws governing the practice of medicine in Alaska. It makes final licensing decisions and takes disciplinary action against people who violate the licensing laws. ” ‘https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/professionallicensing/statemedicalboard.aspx
Yes, Legislature sets State policy. But having granted the Board the authority to set medical standards, the Board can now follow its regulatory adoption process, under auspices of AS46. AG will review, Governor must approve.
This is sick.
The ritualistic mutilation of children’s genitalia.
Truly evil.
If you support this, encourage this, engage in this your committing horrendous, evil acts against humanity.
When you die you will go to HE double hockey ? for eternity.
Shame.
Thank you for this article Suzanne. Can readers contact the board members to thank them for taking this action? As for the legislature, shame on their support of mutilating children in the name of marxist ideology and under the false claim that these children will commit suicide if not given gender make-believe “treatment.”
Isn’t it amazing that we have to tell adults this crazy idea is wrong. What an embarrassment for humanity.
I hope history will look back at a society that had troubles. Unfortunately, I see this as a society that has turned godless and will use any means possible to distract from a reconning God. People have to work long and hard in their justifying brains to twist any sense at all of this silliness. We have age limits for driving, drinking, smoking, sexual consent, and voting. All of them temporary time limits in life yet a life altering procedure that has permanent results we recommend sometimes without even a parental consent. I question the mental sanity or maturity of guardians or parents who encourage this non-sense! After 18 years let them do as they want, but don’t expect any public subsidy. don’t expect everybody else to welcome the self-inflicted baggage in athletic competition or a simple life action of using the rest room.
Gender dysphoria is a mental illness. It has symptoms that are similar to a delusional disorder. It is not appropriate to foster or support a patient’s delusional thinking. It is gross malpractice to alter a patient’s body in order to feed into a delusion.
How can you call it? “transition “went after all said and done. And the mutilation is over and the healing is far from over. The gender is exactly as it was prior.
Good ‘ol Dunleavy’s Administration, always leading from behind. DeSantis knocked this out years ago; yet here we are, barely even trailing in the steps
It’s about time! Maybe, with the board’s support, Republicans will have enough guts to stop this evil.
WOW ! It sure took these PROFESSIONALS long enough to do what should have been done a long time ago. How do you support such ignorance. There sure seem to be a lot of STUPID, USELESS people running and ruining our lives or it’s being deliberately done to destroy our kids and Country (most certainly the plan)
FACT: There are only two sexes – Male and Female. Chopping it off or sewing it on won’t change that FACT.
Amen Brent. These practices need stopped. The lawsuits coming against parents and Drs that allowed these treatments and then years later the victim figures it out will be unbelievable.
Does this mean there is common sense coming back?
Good start. Now come out in opposition to the COVID jab, boosters, masking, social distancing, lockdowns and all the other foolishness pushed by Anne Zink during her time as head of public health in the state. Cheers –