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60 Minutes Story Focuses on Transition Regret, Gets Slammed
60 Minutes Story Focuses on Transition Regret, Gets Slammed
A controversial segment gave credence to those who question trans identity.
60 Minutes is being excoriated for a story on transgender health care because of its emphasis on people who regret transitioning.
The story, which aired Sunday, saw Lesley Stahl interview four people who regretted going through gender transition and two health care professionals who said they support trans people's right to gender-affirming care but think these procedures are sometimes undertaken without sufficient consideration.
"It greatly concerns me where the field has been going," psychologist Laura Edwards-Leeper told Stahl. "I feel like what is happening is unethical and irresponsible in some places."
One of the detransitioners who appeared, Grace Lidinsky-Smith, is a cofounder of several organizations, including the Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network, which has been repudiated by another cofounder.
The piece also featured Dr. Lee Savio Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which opposes bills proposed in several states that would ban gender-affirming treatment for minors; one of them has become law in Arkansas and a more limited one has been signed in Tennessee. "These are not experimental treatments," she said. "They're really based in scientific literature, they're based in decades and decades of expert experience, and they're backed by a number of major medical organizations."
And Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David appeared briefly, saying trans people "are being further marginalized and victimized by elected officials, by anti-equality forces." But 60 Minutes gave much less screen time to Beers and David than to those who regretted or questioned transition.
GLAAD responded with a seven-point tweet.
\u201cTonight @60Minutes @LesleyRStahl aired a shameful segment fearmongering about trans youth. Parents of trans youth could walk away with the false belief that young people are being rushed into medical transition. That is simply untrue. (1/7)\u201d— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1621825870
\u201cAs the piece noted, every major medical association supports affirming, age-appropriate care for trans youth and the guidelines for that care are safe and well-established. And yet, the majority of the story was devoted to "raising concerns" about youth accessing that care. (2/7)\u201d— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1621825870
\u201cThe segment also wrongfully implied that trans YouTubers and online communities which affirm trans youth are somehow brainwashing kids and turning them trans. That is dangerous and at the same time ridiculous. Aren't we past arguing that media can turn people gay or trans? (3/7)\u201d— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1621825870
\u201cAt a time when over 30 states have introduced bills targeting trans people, #60Minutes spotlighted the real harm such bills will have, but also chose to platform activists who try to sow doubt about the need for trans-affirming healthcare. (4/7)\u201d— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1621825870
\u201cFurthermore, failing to disclose that a person profiled in the story is the president of a group that actively seeks to limit affirming transition-related healthcare is poor journalism and a disservice to viewers. (5/7)\u201d— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1621825870
\u201c#60Minutes heard concerns from several trans leaders and, after spending months on the segment, they delivered a piece which still promulgates the same anti-trans dog whistles that we hear from anti-LGBTQ activists and in state legislatures like Arkansas. (6/7)\u201d— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1621825870
\u201cLearn more about how to support and affirm trans youth from actual medical authorities at the @AmerAcadPeds https://t.co/W4xJFjrOfN (7/7)\u201d— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1621825870
Chase Strangio, deputy director for trans justice at the American Civil Liberties Union's LGBT and HIV Project, tweeted about the story as well.
\u201c.@60Minutes, Lesley Stahl, Alexandra Poolos, and Collette Richards knew exactly the harm they were causing with last night\u2019s segment. They knew it was the wrong moment and a dangerous, unaccountable and limited angle. But they did it anyway. That\u2019s on all of you.\u201d— Chase Strangio (@Chase Strangio) 1621864782
HRC did not respond directly to the story but sent out a press release detailing facts about gender-affirming and transition-related care, noting such care is lifesaving, that what it entails is different for every person, and that regret and detransitioning are extremely rare.
60 Minutes Overtime, an online program featuring material not included in the broadcast, did have these comments from David:
"I have a number of concerns about a story that talks about detransitioning without really focusing on the larger context of the trans experience. ... We also have to talk about the people who successfully transition -- the vast majority of people who do. And I'm concerned about that young person who is facing stigmatization and discrimination at home and at school, and they may attempt suicide because society has told them that they're worthless.
"I'm concerned about a population that has already been victimized and marginalized, and how a story that is taken out of context could further victimize and marginalize this community. ... Bringing a story to light about detransitioning without talking about the vast majority of people who positively transition, would cause concern because it sends a message. We need to also elevate the positive stories of people who successfully transition."
Some other critiques of the story:
\u201cHi, here\u2019s more about the detransitioner who appeared on 60 minutes last night without 60 minutes disclosing that she\u2019s the president of a detrans advocacy group that seeks to limit care to trans people in general, and has very questionable ties to conversion therapy.\u201d— Mx. D. E. Anderson (@Mx. D. E. Anderson) 1621877106
\u201c.@60Minutes you made a choice. At a moment when trans ppl are in particular danger in this country, when trans rights are being eroded at this very moment, you choose to amplify an anti-trans, right-wing talking point. We see you \ud83d\ude21\u201d— THEE mj (scib0rg70 on that image app) (@THEE mj (scib0rg70 on that image app)) 1621823756
\u201cThis #60minutes piece on #transhealth is horrible. They're focused on detransitioning instead of the issue of anti-trans legislation and more. Literally, an expect talks about how over fixation on detransitioners harms the trans community but they chose a an anti-trans narrative\u201d— Zach Radcliff (he/they) \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Zach Radcliff (he/they) \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1621813855
\u201cOh wow that @60Minutes segment focusing on detransitioning is about as dangerous and one-sided as it could have been.\n\nTrans regret rates top out at 5%. Telling a story only about detransitioners with only skeptical providers is spreading anti-trans propaganda.\u201d— Zack Ford (@Zack Ford) 1621825994
