In the court filings, emails reveal concerns about specific minimum ages for treatment listed in Dr. Levine’s guidelines for transgender care. The chief of staff expressed worry that these age listings could lead to harmful legislation for trans care. They suggested removing the specific ages and publishing age-based recommendations in a more discreet way to avoid negative outcomes.
Additionally, the emails discussed how the guidelines were consensus-based and lacked evidence to support recommendations. A 12-point strategic plan was developed to promote the new guidelines, acknowledging the need for further research to strengthen their suggestions. It was noted that phrases like “insufficient evidence” and “limited data” could be manipulated by lawmakers to restrict medical interventions for minors.
The filings also mentioned that the American Academy of Pediatrics threatened to oppose the guidelines if minimum age recommendations were upheld. Concerns were raised about potential legal implications and how language in the guidelines could be spun by lawmakers. Despite these concerns, WPATH did not respond to requests for comment from CNA.