Science Over Ideology: HHS Moves To Halt Pediatric 'Gender Transitions'

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it is moving to end "gender-affirming care" for children (under the age of 18) with a series of proposed regulations. Of course, "gender-affirming care" is the palatable name given by leftists to the practice of mutilating and castrating children under the guise of healthcare.

The HHS pulled no punches in its announcement, referring to the practice as "sex-rejecting procedures," which is much more accurate. The Department said it wants to "end the practice of sex-rejecting procedures on children that expose young people to irreversible harm." 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the arm of HHS that controls the purse strings for almost every hospital in America, says it will move to bar medical institutions from performing these sex-rejecting procedures on anyone under 18 if they want to keep taking Medicare and Medicaid dollars (via Conditions of Participation and coverage rules). 

In other words, if a hospital wants federal money, it has to stop mutilating kids.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said he wants the government to "do everything in its power to stop unsafe, irreversible practices that put our children at risk." 

(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

HHS is leaning on its long-standing authority under the Social Security Act, which lets the government set basic safety rules for hospitals. They’re now making it clear that protecting "patient health and safety" means the federal government will no longer do business with any hospital that intentionally inflicts permanent harm on children.

The proposed regulations relate specifically to the three major aspects of sex-rejecting "care": puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical operations. The HHS noted that these interventions cause "infertility, impaired sexual function, diminished bone density, altered brain development, and other irreversible physiological effects." 

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. declared that "these procedures do not meet professionally recognized standards of health care" and fully backed President Donald Trump's executive order to end the practice on children. 

"Under my leadership, and answering President Trump’s call to action, the federal government will do everything in its power to stop unsafe, irreversible practices that put our children at risk," Secretary Kennedy said. "This Administration will protect America’s most vulnerable. Our children deserve better—and we are delivering on that promise." 

Radical Leftists Continue To Support Sex-Rejecting Procedures

On the other side, Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), who is a trans-identifying biological male, strongly denounced the decision, with radical left-wing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) standing close by in support. 

McBride explained that the biggest regret that the politician has faced in life is not having sex-rejecting procedures sooner.

OutKick's position on this issue has always remained the same. Adults who want to take life-altering hormones and have elective cosmetic surgery are perfectly free to do that. That does not, however, mean that a person gets to use whatever bathroom they want to or compete in whatever sports category they wish. 

RELATED: WSJ Op-Ed Acknowledges Transgender Identity Appears To Be Social Contagion

When it comes to children, there is no reasonable argument that a young person is capable of making a life-changing decision like becoming "transgender." In America, people under the age of 18 cannot legally get a tattoo. Why? Because we have decided, as a nation, that under a certain age, people are not responsible enough to make decisions that affect the rest of their lives. Minors also can't vote in elections, deemed to be not informed enough to affect the future of the nation. 

Consider that people under the age of 21 cannot purchase or consume alcohol or nicotine products. Again, society has dictated that those under that age are not responsible enough to make those decisions. 

But where is the outcry about those bans? Why aren't the left-wing politicians complaining that the tattoo law is an infringement on the rights of "tattoo enthusiasts?" Where are the legislation proposals that argue prohibiting alcohol sales to people under 21 unfairly impacts the rights of alcoholics? 

Leftists Don't Seem Interested in "Following the Science" 

When it comes to sex-rejecting procedures, though, radicals like McBride and AOC quickly run to a microphone to exclaim that this is an attack on "trans kids." They never cite real science to support their position, either. Consider McBride's argument on Thursday: McBride uses the anecdotal evidence from the Representative's own life. And it's entirely based on feelings and emotions, lacking any scientific backing. 

Rep. Sarah McBride attacked the Department of Health and Human Services for trying to end the barbaric practice of castrating and mutilating children. 

(Getty Images)

The HHS released a peer-reviewed study of sex-rejecting procedures and found that "the harms from sex-rejecting procedures — including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical operations — are significant, long term, and too often ignored or inadequately tracked." 

 "This report marks a turning point for American medicine," said National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD. "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 "follow the science" crowd has once again turned its back on science to push a radical ideology. This time, they're using their pro-trans agenda as an attempt to harm American children. 

That's not just wrong; it's evil.