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Vanderbilt pauses child transgender surgeries; conservatives take credit




Vanderbilt University Medical CenterFile

Vanderbilt University Medical CenterFile

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is suspending gender-affirming surgeries for minors as it implements new standards of care released in September, a process that “may take several months,” according to a letter made public Friday. 

The pause comes as several Republican lawmakers have pledged legislation to ban sex reassignment surgeries for children for the legislative session that begins in January. 

Last month, Republican lawmakers blasted VUMC and called for an investigation into the center’s Pediatric Transgender Clinic after conservative podcaster Matt Walsh posted internal videos and claimed Vanderbilt doctors perform irreversible surgeries on children because they are “a big moneymaker” while forcing employees to participate regardless of moral or religious objection.

According to VUMC Chief Health System Officer Dr. C. Wright Pinson, the clinic has paused surgical procedures on minors because of new standards of care released Sept. 6 by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

“As part of completing our internal clinic review of the SOC-8 guidance in patients under 18, we will be seeking advice from local and national clinical experts,” Pinson wrote in a letter to Rep. Jason Zachary on Friday. “We are pausing gender affirmation surgeries on patients under age 18 while we complete this review.”

Pinson’s letter was a response to a call from 62 state Republicans asking the clinic to end gender-affirming surgeries on children. He acknowledged the state legislature will likely act on the issue when it reconvenes in January and pledged VUMC will continue to follow relevant state laws.

Walsh took credit for VUMC’s decision in a tweet Friday, prompting praise from thousands of his conservative followers.

“HUGE NEWS: following our report, Vanderbilt has agreed to pause all gender transition surgeries on minors,” he wrote. “The fight is far from over but this will save children from mutilation and abuse. An incredibly important victory. Praise God.”

Details in the letter refute some claims Walsh made in the Twitter thread which sparked the controversy.

Since the clinic opened in 2018, an average of five minors each year have received gender-affirming surgeries, according to the letter. All were at least 16 years old.

Walsh claimed on Sept. 20 that doctors at Vanderbilt’s clinic “castrate, sterilize, and mutilate minors.” Pinson wrote that of the minors who underwent surgery, “none have received genital procedures.” Parental consent was given in each case.

Walsh is scheduled to speak at a “Rally to End Child Mutilation” on Legislative Plaza on Oct. 21. Republican Leaders Jack Johnson and William Lamberth are scheduled to speak, as are former Congressional candidate Robby Starbuck and his activist wife, Landon Starbuck.

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