RESUMEN
Legislation undermining the human rights of transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) people is on the rise. Many U.S. states have passed or proposed laws that restrict gender-affirming health care (GAC), which are largely rooted in scientific disinformation, meaning intentional falsehood. Scientific disinformation presents a significant threat to TGE people, providers of GAC, health care professionals, and the general public. Clinicians, legal advocates, and others need effective strategies to rebut disinformation. This perspective reviews the status of GAC bans and the disinformation strategies that underlie them, and provides practical tools to challenge false claims.
RESUMEN
CONTEXT: Bans on gender-affirming care (GAC) for transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) people are grounded in scientific disinformation and have been challenged in American courts. METHODS: Five legal filings by state officials in defense of GAC restriction from initial litigation were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes and subthemes of disinformation were identified after review and analysis of these filings. FINDINGS: Five themes of disinformation emerged: False and misleading claims about (1) gender dysphoria and gender identity, (2) the evidence regarding GAC, (3) standard practice of GAC, (4) the safety of GAC, and finally, (5) rejection of medical authority. These themes were well represented across the analyzed documents. CONCLUSIONS: The five disinformation themes and subthemes have been noted in lower courts, but have seen some purchase in appellate courts, suggesting that medical disinformation in law may have far-reaching consequences for medical policy.
