‘The Courage to Follow the Evidence’
From the Richard Dawkins Foundation Newsletter. Subscribe here. Hello! The UK’s National Health Service recently released The Cass Review, an independent report intended “to make recommendations on how to improve NHS gender identity services, and ensure that children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria receive a high standard of care, that meets their needs, is safe, holistic and effective.” Dr. Hillary Cass’s final report is important for many reasons. First, it highlights the lack of sound science and evidentiary support for many common approaches to gender transition treatment for minors and raises serious questions about how and why the medical establishment has so “utterly failed” so many young people. It also provides at least a partial answer: the debate over transgender care has been so politicized and toxic that medical professionals have been “afraid to openly discuss their views” for fear of being vilified and bullied online. Dr. Cass has been rightly lauded for having “the courage to follow the evidence.” We have made the point repeatedly: good outcomes …
