Please Help Gender Health Query Oppose Radical Gender Identity / SOGI Activism in Schools by Sharing Our Parent & Educator Resource
The Top Ten Gender Activism Myths That Make Good People Promote Bad Ideas & Policy
We have provided versions of various lengths for different purposes. The print versions have QR codes to the citations to reduce printed paper. The extended version is an in depth discussion, the summary version, to the point, and the shortest version is the 10 Myths and a QR code to this page (may be good to hand out at a school board meeting, etc).
With the help of concerned parents and health professionals, Gender Health Query, a nonpartisan LGB human rights organization, has created an informational resource to address risks and conflicts arising from gender identity activism in schools under the banner of “transgender,” “SOGI” (sexual orientation and gender education), and “LGBTQ+.” Its purpose is to help concerned parents and educators articulate issues with this activism through well researched arguments.
For An audio version of The Top Ten Myths see the link below:
For a Detailed Presentation of The Top 10 Myths in Our Parent/Educator Resource see the link below:
Current gender activism presents confusing and false information to children and teenagers using terms such as “gender spectrum,” “fluidity,” “trans women are women,” “cis,” “sex assigned at birth,” and “born in the wrong body.” Many educators are enthusiastically embracing these ideas, believing they are protecting trans-identified students. In reality, they are imposing subjective belief systems as truth and are negatively impacting children, LGB people, religious people, and boundaries and fair sports for girls. Activists are aggressively recruiting youth to serve this agenda. This has no place in schools, especially taxpayer funded public ones.
Furthermore, the “affirmative model” and “gender-affirming care” risk over-medicalizing pre-LGB kids, autism spectrum children and teens, youth struggling with mental health issues, and those whose identities are still forming. These young people must be grounded in reality and have a healthy puberty to develop and grow into adulthood. Persistently gender dysphoric young people need this as well, not esoteric dogma and extreme and irreversible medical body modification. Minors are receiving medical “transition” protocols as young as age 9 with the use of puberty blockers, and surgeries are happening on teenagers. These protocols have long-term health consequences.
This issue is currently negatively impacting young people and families and is so divisive, society itself. Parents are increasingly losing parental rights over their children, who now are allowed to medialize as tweens and teens in some states where the government may take the minors out of the home. Left-wing institutions such as the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, “LGBTQ+” organizations, legacy media, and schools themselves, are demonizing concerned parents, health professionals, academics, and journalists. They influence politicians to spread false information and wield inappropriate power regarding this agenda. We must change this. Alternatives to these ideas and policies are possible. There are other ways to support youth with gender dysphoria so they are valued and can participate fully in school life.
BETTER INFORM TEACHERS & SCHOOL OFFICIALS
Gender Health Query is embarking on a mass print version and digital distribution campaign for this project. If you oppose what is going on with gender in schools, we are asking you to help us and please send links to parent groups or school officials in your area when contact information is available. This will only take a few minutes. Currently only one group of extreme people, with their own controversial agenda, have gained unjustified power to influence the educational system.
Click Here To See statements from endorsing groups and individuals below
Parent/Educator Resource
Scrutinizing Gender Education in Public Schools:
Incorporating Evidence and Balancing Rights
The Top Ten Gender ideology Myths That Make Good People Promote Bad Ideas & Policy:
Who’s being hurt by gender ideology in culture and in the classroom?
Myth #1
Gender taught in schools is evidence-based & progressive. Teachers would never introduce materials in schools that are harmful to students or damaging to parental rights.
Fact: Educators have rapidly adopted school curricula derived from academically unsound theories about gender that are fueled by activist-driven identity politics. Advocates for this approach insist there are unlimited genders, that medically altering healthy bodies is unquestionably positive, and that the public must accept the notion that gender identity supersedes biology. These ideas increase identity confusion and body dysmorphia, reinforce gender stereotypes, and violate the rights of girls, homosexuals, and religious groups. Most seriously, they can lead youth into irreversible, experimental medical pathways with serious health consequences, all while policymakers are removing parental rights.
This section covers- diversity equity inclusion (DEI), social and emotional learning (SEL), sex and gender education (SOGI), queer theory, anti-bullying, gender stereotypes, gay, lesbian, bisexual, autistic, critical theories, affirmative model, LGBTQ organizations, media, children, safeguarding, UNESCO, The U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, Rachel Levine, K-12, Oregon Administrative Rule 584-020-0035, government, educators, Jazz Jennings, I Am Jazz, HRT, censorship, gender expression, gender identity, genderqueer, nonbinary, Kieran Slattery, Erica Anderson,U.S. Department of Education, National Education Association (NEA), American Library Association, ethical educator, Cristina Buttons, Balboa High School, Gay Straight Alliance, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, GSA, Abigail Shrier, Women are Human, News Corp Australia Network
Myth #2
Medical gender transition is safe & healthy for minors.
Fact: Many people are unaware that since the late 1990s, minors have been receiving experimental medical interventions for gender dysphoria that have a proven track record of serious and permanent side effects in adults. These side effects include sterilization, circulatory health risks, cell and organ damage, and loss of sexual function. Accumulating evidence of harm has led a growing number of health professionals to warn that they should not be used on minors.
This section covers- medical experimentation, social transition, Dr. James Barrett, Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic, UK, lana Sherer, MD, UCSF Child and Adolescent Gender Center in San Francisco, Johanna Olson-Kennedy, De Vries, Steensma, Doreleijers, Cohen-Kettenis, WPATH, sterilization, mastectomy, vaginoplasty, puberty blockers, hormones, bone density, Kirshna (2019), cross-sex hormones, GnRHa, puberty blockers, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, Michael Biggs, Carolina Jemsby, IQ, Schneider (2017), Lupron, Kaiser Permanente, Consumer Affairs News Report, cardiovascular risks, heart attack, blood clots, brain tumors, stroke, FtM, female to male, MtF, pelvic pain, balding, acne, liver stress, type 2 diabetes, steroids, fetuses, scarring, numbness, nerve damage, phalloplasty, metoidioplasty, bladder, colostomy, anorgasmia, dilation, fistulas, incontinence, brain damage, odor, minors, Lisa Simons MD, Lurie Children’s, Dr John Whitehall
Myth #3
Gender identity activism doesn’t negatively impact other people.
Fact: Gender ideology taught in schools is not progressive and doesn’t uphold priorities central to modern democracies. It is anti-science, reinforces sex stereotypes, encourages poor body image, confuses children about biological reality and sexual orientation, eradicates the concept of sex-based rights, ends fair sports for girls, and restricts free speech and free thought.
This section covers- anti-discrimination laws, Helen Joyce, gender identity, law, girls, women, sports, title IX, Olympics, scholarships, Emily Yoffe, bathrooms, locker rooms, rape, voyeurism, sexual harassment, sex-based crimes, sex-segregation, homosexual transsexual (HSTS), autogynephilia (AGP) males, cross dressing, paraphilia, heterosexual male, trans umbrella, privacy, field trips, gender-neutral, lawsuits, free speech, pronouns, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, Erin’s Law, Trautner (2003), unscientific, misgendering, gender stereotypes. Mermaids, Beaverton OR school district, “trans children will kill themselves”
Myth #4
“Gender-affirming” social & medical intervention for kids is the healthiest option because “trans kids” know who they are & medical transition is the best choice.
Fact: Though social and medical interventions continue to be marketed through activism as “medically necessary” and “lifesaving,” there is little to no evidence that social and medical interventions for minors are appropriate or the best approach for minors. In fact, there are studies that indicate transition for adults is far less helpful than reported. There are key elements that remain true regarding youth: children are influenced by parents, trusted adults, and peers; children are susceptible to a lack of critical thinking; and parental support and love is most important.
This section covers- “trans kids know who they are,” intersex, disorders of sexual development, DSD, Tuskegee syphilis experiments, shock therapy, lobotomies, thalidomide, mental health, medical professions, damaging fads, satanic panic, recovered memories, psychic epidemics, social contagions, Cornell University, Dhejne (2011), Adams (2017), Marshall (2015), Hass (2014), Bränström and Pachankis (2020), Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine (SEGM), gatekeeping, detransition, regret, Keira Bell, Robert Sapolsky, 4thwavenow, CDC, species, sexually dimorphic
Myth #5
Gender is a spectrum and biology doesn’t matter.
Fact: The view that “gender is a spectrum” is not a fact but a belief system promoted by a very small percentage of the population—many of whom stand to gain emotionally, politically, and financially as activists or providers of medical services. There are only two sexes. Human sexual dimorphism is central to reproducing the species, and humans cannot simply identify out of the consequences of this fact. Biology denialism and manipulation of language is causing many people to confuse and conceal issues regarding this subject.
This section covers- gender unicorn, genderbred, gender expression, female assigned, male assigned
Myth #6
Gender identity is innate, immutable, and is not influenced by social factors.
Fact: Many children/teens with serious gender dysphoria outgrow it. There is mounting evidence that social factors and mental health issues contribute to the rise in gender dysphoria. Gender activism training in schools that promote “innate gender” as universal, makes schools complicit in harming young people.
This section covers- Dianna Kenny, love-bombing, trauma-bonding, identity politics, Dr Stephen Stathis, Lisa Littman, Jesse Singal, Dr Ken Zucker, Dr Miroslav Djordjevic, Bechard (2017), AYAs, minority stress, Wallien (2008), DeLay (2017), Sasha Ayad LPC, TransgenderTrend. NHS, Christian parents
Myth #7
There is expert consensus that these interventions are safe and best practice.
Fact: The treatment of young people who struggle with identity and question their sex or gender is
a highly controversial issue with no settled science. Current practices come with significant risks to long-term health, happiness, fertility, and sexual function—which is why many medical professionals, scientists, and governing bodies are now questioning current “best practices.”
This section covers- no consensus, Kamran Abbasid, BMJ, Norman Spack MD, Endocrinologist, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dr Bernadette Wren, Tavistock gender clinic, UK, GIDs, Drummond (2008), Wallien & Cohen-Kettenis (2008), Singh (2012), Steensma (2013), Korte (2008), Steensma & Cohen-Kettenis (2011), The Dutch Protocol, Abbruzzese, Levine, S., Mason J. (2023), Sue Evans & Marcus Evans, Clark & Spiliadis (2019), desistance, persistence, OCD, Trauma, Diane Ehrensaft, Dr. Claudia Lament, Rachael StClaire, Elizabeth Mondegreen, conversion therapy, AFAB, AMAB, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, queer, Jamie Reed, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, social transition, abuse
Myth #8
The trans community is plagued with suicides and murders.
Fact: Trans activism often misrepresents suicide risk, and there is no trans murder epidemic. Activists in media, groups, and institutions make panic-inducing statements about the dangers of suicide and hate crimes that are hyperbolic, enforce an agenda, and violate suicide-reporting ethics. This behavior will only make the mental health of dysphoric young people worse.
This section covers- violating suicide-reporting guidelines, ethics, male sex offenders, women’s prisons, suicide risk, “the Werther Effect, clusters, social contagion, “would you rather have a live daughter than a dead son/ dead daughter,” ACLU, prevention, research, 60 Minutes: Health care challenges for transgender youth with Lesley Stahl, r/detrans, subreddit, discrimination, prostitution, homelessness, “trans murder epidemic,” Wilfred Reilly, trans less at risk for murder, Channel 4 Fact Check, “poor trans women of color”, Brazil, Fair Play for Women, The London Times, sexual offenses, at-risk-youth, Michael Bailey, Ray Blanchard, The American Medical Association, AMA Board Member, Bobby Mukkamala, M.D., Dr Wallace Wong
Myth #9
Gays, lesbians, bisexuals and trans-identified adults agree with activist-promoted gender ideology and pediatric medicalization.
Fact: Many LGB and trans-identified people strongly oppose pediatric medical transition and find it offensive when ideological materials are promoted under the banner of “LGBTQ+” or “SOGI” (Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity), claiming that “gender is a spectrum” and “sex is assigned at birth.”
This section covers- Dr. Alexander Korte, Andy Lewis, skeptic, media, GLAAD, HRC, Stonewall UK, Heather Brunskell-Evans, J.K. Rowling, The London Times, Kathleen Stock, K. Yang, pediatric transition, Whistleblowers, Tavistock, Thailand, Jennifer Block, Chad Felix, stealth, cotton ceiling, boxer ceiling, guilt, sexual harassment, genderqueer, sex-by-deception, gender fraud laws, parental homophobia, Kimberly Shappley, Corrina Cohn, GCCAN, Miranda Yardley, Blaire White, YouTube, pronoun rituals
Myth #10
I know this is bad, but gender activism in schools, laws, and society is inevitable and will be the new accepted cultural norm, so why bother opposing it?
Fact: The more people learn about gender activism & its impacts, the less people like it. People from diverse backgrounds are demanding that educators begin to recognize the harm & rights conflicts resulting from gender activism. Parents are organizing in their opposition to unscientific curriculum, erosion of parental rights, & ideological indoctrination of youth and have many allies.
This section covers- Politicization, Ph.D. Leor Sapir, Manhattan Institute, liberal, conservative, tribal, Lambda Legal, Transgender Law Center, GLSEN, ulterior motives, cults, dynamics, anti-social. grooming, indoctrination, destabilizing, Lindz Amer, Queer Kid Stuff, scars, female self-hatred, self-help cult, exploitation, religious, quasi-religious, educational negligence, inappropriate, agenda, social justice, identity politics, legitimacy, credibility, hard-left, identity Marxism, public, accountable, ideologue, alternatives, love, support, gender-atypical, gender nonconforming, biology denialism, culture, Samoa, fa’afafine, narcissistic, radical, Jalyah Saelua, religious beliefs, bathrooms, faculty, passing, cosmetic results, plastic surgery, Alternative Curricula, My Body is Me, The Fairness Pledge, Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR), malpractice
Statements from Supporters will be included in the distribution of our resource.
“This Resource does a fantastic job of directly addressing the impacts and harms of gender identity ideology. It nicely illuminates the reasons why well-intentioned educators go along with an approach that can harm the very people they are trying to help. We see the same behaviours and approaches in Canada and more and more people are starting to push back because it's becoming obvious that gender identity politics in our schools is creating more harm than good. A more thoughtful approach is needed that is truly inclusive and puts students' health and well-being first.” -Pam Buffone
Coach Linda Blade, PhD Kinesiology, coauthor of UNSPORTING
“The Gender Health Query resource for families and schools sets the records straight on the many false assertions being made by activists who seek to lure children into gender identity ideology. Children should never be told that they might have been “born in the wrong body.” This new resource offers an alternative point of view - with factual information to back it up - amplifying the message that children are loved and accepted just the way they are without harmful medical intervention. I endorse this positive approach.”
“4thWaveNow was founded by parents who question the safety and efficacy of the medicalization of adolescents identifying as trans, nonbinary, or genderqueer. The number of these young people has skyrocketed in the last decade. There are many of us who are skeptical, but we are often ignored or demonized by institutions and legacy media which disingenuously frame this as a right versus left issue. It is not. We have featured many voices: parents, young people, detransitioners, and some of the top experts in the fields of sexology and gender dysphoria research. We support Gender Health Query’s parent/educator resource because we have witnessed the negative impacts of gender activism, now normalized in school settings, and introduced by usually well-meaning people misled by ideologues. From confusing and factually incorrect lesson plans about sex and gender, to loss of parental rights, to the eradication of sporting opportunities for girl children, we ask educators and their supporters to strongly reflect on what they are implementing and the harm it is doing in the name of helping.” -Denise Caignon
Laura Wiley Haynes, Court Appointed Special Advocate
“I am a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Foster Youth in California who has studied gender issues extensively as there are a high number of foster youth with trans ideation. Simultaneously, there are a set of mental health disorders common to children who have had traumatic early lives, that leave kids with a poor sense of self, disembodiment, self hate, dissociation, desire to self harm, and other somatic struggles which fight a coherent, satisfactory sense of self. And now there is a substantial social contagion involving non-traumatized kids from typical homes. This entire phenomenon is under ten years old.
Resources that offer alternatives to lock-step activist positions on gender are extremely important. The prevailing narrative, that children must be instantly and uncritically affirmed 'as trans,' is not based upon good evidence. So it must be questioned, but the information people need to raise questions is being suppressed by trans activists, and labeled as “conversion.”
Child and adolescent mental health are woeful today— this is the landscape in which gender misery in kids has arisen. Children and parents must be encouraged and empowered to access other, less risky and scientifically well-validated means of feeling better before considering anything permanent, risky, or damging.”
“We at LGB Alliance are concerned about transitioning trans-identified minors for some of the same reasons others are. The risks are too great. Trans-related medical interventions, including gender reassignment surgeries, puberty blockers, and exogenous hormones, have many potentially dangerous and irreversible health consequences. It’s particularly troubling to subject kids to these treatments when their brains are still growing and malleable. Reifying and medicalizing kids’ subjective identities before they have reached maturity stunts their development by locking them into decisions they may come to regret.
Furthermore, the trans kid phenomenon is particularly harmful for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth, as evidence suggests that LGBs are overrepresented amongst minors struggling with gender dysphoria. The reasons for this are that LGBs are disproportionally gender-nonconforming and often struggle with internalized homophobia or biphobia. Transgender identities can seem like an alluring way out for LGB youth, even though the solution to their problems lies in accepting their sexuality and biological sex. Transing the gay away is a modern version of conversion therapy. We do not think it promotes tolerance or acceptance to tell children that it is ok to solve their problems by denying the biological reality of who they are and using experimental medical procedures to fix their bodies.
We at LGB Alliance USA have shifted away from the born in the wrong body concept, embracing the idea that gender nonconforming youth are born in the right body. Let's talk about the outcomes of medical modifications versus non-medical paths. We're discussing potential health risks, sterility, financial costs, and lifelong dependencies tied to medical transition. Full brain development doesn't happen until we're 25, so let's seriously think about informed consent for permanent body modifications.
We share the mission to prevent unnecessary medical treatments for minors and young adults because sometimes problems need therapy or time to sort themselves out. And with the staggering number of young adults transitioning these days, this can cause more harm than good. Post-transition challenges like shifting gender dysphoria, anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation might still linger. We address this as an organization despite the fact others refuse to.
Education today is loaded with much misinformation on biology and presumes that identity trumps biology while it would never promote other types of falsehoods to children. Misogyny and rejection of womanhood are central to trans-identified females declaring themselves to be a child's father or to be "a man who gave birth." Biologically, men lack the necessary reproductive organs.
This isn't about discrimination; it's basic anatomy. While everyone has the right to live authentically, we should all be concerned that this narrative is slamming the door on facing biological realities.”
“We support this Parent/Educator Resource Guide because we know that the majority of children who consider themselves transgender, if supported with a holistic approach, are highly likely to outgrow their feelings of dysphoria, anxiety, and depression, and some might find that they are homosexual. We support this because we believe it is our duty as parents to ensure that our children are being taught scientifically accurate, non-ideological concepts in the classroom. Our Duty has no religious or political affiliation, and we provide resources and advocate for parents who want to protect their children from harm. We challenge the authorities and organizations that promote and facilitate an affirmation-only approach due to the lack of quality evidence and longitudinal studies to support it. It is our duty to bring our children into adulthood healthy in body and mind and we believe that this well-researched, thoughtful, comprehensive project will become an integral part of that process.”
“If ever there were a reason for us to put aside differences and come together, child safeguarding is it. Gender ideology is a destructive force in our schools and however well-intended some educators may be, they are wreaking havoc in the minds of countless children and setting many on a path to medical interventions that can’t be undone. Deceptive school policies, activist-based gender lessons in the earliest grades and hallways and classrooms blanketed in transgender propaganda are not inclusive or based in kindness—they are psychosocial interventions and messages meant to tinker in the minds of other people’s children. This guide is an important and valuable resource to increase awareness about what is really going on in schools and why it will take all hands on deck to make it stop.”
"It’s time for a parent/educator resource that’s honest about the dangers of gender ideology to children and families. This Guide provides the facts underlying the recent efforts of many professional organizations, activist groups, school boards and policies, school personnel, and mental and medical health professionals to lead families down a path of harm for their children. Many of the professionals whose parents have historically entrusted with the care of their children are no longer trustworthy. In fact, many of the “experts” parents look to for help are actively causing harm to children and encouraging them to distrust or even leave their parents. Families have been torn apart, and children have been irreversibly harmed by professionals who think they know better than parents. Partners for Ethical Care are encouraged to have this reality-based Guide for families with a child who suffers from the belief they are born in the wrong body. It’s about time we armed these parents with useful information."
The Paradox Institute is an independent science education group teaching the biology of sex and the differences between males and females. From cleanly illustrated animated videos to long form essays, they provide digestible, scientific content on the most fundamental and controversial research in the biology of sex differences.
Paradox Institute has their own informational resource, Myths of Gender Affirming Care. See their alternative education example in support of all children, The Self Cloud.
Pamela Garfield-Jaeger, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
“Gender Health Query is a great resource for anyone who is looking for the truth about gender ideology and the harms of gender medicine. GHQ is out there because it knows that so many young people that would likely grow up to become gay are being convinced that the are “born in the wrong body”. Please visit the GHQ to understand why the trans movement needs to be stopped and learn how to protect yourself, your family and your community against harmful lies.”
Stephanie Winn, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
“School children are taught that supporting one another's social transition, such as by using preferred pronouns, is merely an act of basic kindness and respect. What many well-meaning teachers, counselors, and administrators fail to realize is that social transition is one step along a pathway that leads many young people down a path of permanent medicalization that will have lifelong implications. Schools should be safe places that support each student's ability to learn and explore their ever-shifting, budding sense of identity without prematurely concretizing that exploration process in ways that have the potential to limit a young person's options for their future health and happiness."
Citations & Resources
Articles Scrutinizing the Affirmative Model for Gender Dysphoric Children & Teens