Podcast Summary: Episode 1109 | 'We Were Harming Children': Whistleblower Exposes the Nightmare Inside Gender Clinics

Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey
Host/Author: Blaze Podcast Network
Release Date: December 4, 2024

Introduction

In Episode 1109 of Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey, hosted by Allie Beth Stuckey, the discussion delves into the controversial and troubling practices within transgender clinics, particularly those serving children. The episode features two pivotal guests: Jamie Reed, a whistleblower from the Washington University transgender center at St. Louis Children's Hospital, and Vernadette Broyles, the president and general counsel of the Child and Parental Rights Campaign. Together, they shed light on the alarming trends and ethical breaches occurring in pediatric gender medicine.

Background of Guests

Jamie Reed introduces herself as a former employee of a pediatric transgender center where she worked for nearly five years. She now serves as the Executive Director of the Courage Coalition, advocating against child transitions and supporting the preservation of children's natural biological development.

Vernadette Broyles explains her role as the president and general counsel of the Child and Parental Rights Campaign. Her organization comprises five attorneys across the country, focusing on cases where children have been socially transitioned without parental consent and defending parents whose children face threats from Child Protective Services due to their gender identities.

Experiences at Gender Clinics

Jamie Reed recounts her initial belief in the mission of the transgender center, describing it as a place aimed at helping children identify their "true, authentic selves." She details the rapid increase in the number of children seeking services—from four or five per month in 2018 to nearly sixty by 2023—and observes a significant demographic shift. Originally serving primarily young, feminine-presenting boys, the clinic began seeing a surge in teenage girls with severe mental health issues who were aggressively pursuing medical interventions like testosterone therapy and surgeries ([02:31]).

Jamie Reed: "I really believe that we were intervening early to help children identify their true, authentic selves and give them a pathway towards a healthy, authentic adulthood." [02:01]

The Shift in Clinic Practices

Reed describes the clinic's transformation, highlighting the lack of proper protocols and internal guidelines. She notes that by the time she left, the majority of clients were teenage girls who had already socially transitioned in multiple environments without prior mental health evaluations ([03:22]).

Jamie Reed: "The center had really been only open a year, but there were just elements to it that didn't make a ton of sense." [06:55]

Medical Practices and Questionable Protocols

Reed criticizes the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in minors, emphasizing the absence of standardized treatment protocols. She explains the concept of Tanner stages and how some endocrinologists were initiating puberty blockers prematurely or allowing indefinite blocking without progression to further treatments ([10:11]).

Jamie Reed: "Puberty, in my opinion, now is a 'human right.' Because the body requires these steps, and the brain requires the pruning and the slowness of how puberty engages." [10:11]

Reed also accuses the medical professionals at the clinic of manipulating parents by threatening that their children might commit suicide if not transitioned, undermining parental authority and decision-making ([13:28]).

Jamie Reed: "Why do we even send doctors to medical school then if they're willing to just hand that over and let children make these decisions?" [14:25]

Detransitioning and Adverse Outcomes

Reed shares harrowing accounts of adverse medical outcomes resulting from early medical interventions. She describes instances where testosterone therapy led to severe physical harm, such as a 17-year-old girl's genitalia deteriorating to the point of requiring emergency surgery ([21:57]).

Jamie Reed: "We had a patient who we had put on testosterone at a young age. She had an... one of her first sexual experiences and her vagina completely tore open and she ended up bleeding so profusely that we had to send her directly to the emergency room." [21:57]

Additionally, she recounts cases where minors sought to reverse their transitions shortly after undergoing surgeries, revealing the profound psychological and physical distress caused by these interventions ([23:24]).

Legal Implications and Advocacy

Vernadette Broyles outlines the legal battles her organization faces, including lawsuits against schools and clinics that facilitate unauthorized transitions. She recounts tragic cases, such as that of Ellie Perez, a 12-year-old who attempted suicide after being coerced into a double life of gender transition without parental knowledge ([52:36]).

Vernadette Broyles: "There are so many of these stories, and that's the kids. See." [52:36]

Broyles emphasizes the role of Child Protective Services in exacerbating these issues by alienating parents and coercing children into transitions, even leading to situations where children are left vulnerable to abuse and trafficking ([54:51]).

Personal Impact on Guests

Jamie Reed shares the profound personal toll of her whistleblowing. Initially fearful of ostracization from her community and professional networks, she was instead met with overwhelming support from unexpected allies across the political spectrum ([42:14]).

Jamie Reed: "In some ways, it's been one of the greatest blessings of my life." [42:14]

Reed also discusses the strain her activism has placed on her marriage. Her spouse, who had transitioned as an adult, was not initially supportive of transitioning children. The fallout from Reed's decision to speak out led to significant marital challenges, ultimately resulting in her spouse detransitioning ([44:35]).

Jamie Reed: "It really caused this real rift in our marriage because it really put in front of her pathway this reckoning point that she was not ready to do." [46:16]

Conclusion and Call to Action

Both Reed and Broyles underscore the urgent need to protect children's biological integrity and parental rights. They advocate for the closure of harmful clinics, the establishment of clear medical protocols, and the reinforcement of parental authority in decisions regarding a child's gender identity.

Reed passionately states:

Jamie Reed: "Children have the right to grow up with their fertility, their sexual function, and their endocrine systems intact, whole and functional. It is their basic human right." [56:12]

Broyles echoes the sentiment, urging parents to remain vigilant and assertive in safeguarding their children's well-being.

The episode concludes with a heartfelt acknowledgment of the guests' courage and a reaffirmation of the collective fight against practices that harm children under the guise of gender affirmation.

Key Takeaways

• Rapid Increase in Pediatric Transgender Services: A significant rise in the number of children seeking gender transition services, predominantly teenage girls with complex mental health issues.

• Lack of Protocols and Ethical Concerns: Clinics often operate without standardized guidelines, leading to premature and sometimes irreversible medical interventions.

• Adverse Medical and Psychological Outcomes: Reports of severe physical harm and deteriorating mental health among minors who undergo medical transitions.

• Legal and Parental Rights: Ongoing legal battles to protect parental authority and prevent unauthorized transitions, highlighting the misuse of Child Protective Services.

• Personal Sacrifices and Community Support: Individuals like Jamie Reed face personal and professional challenges but receive unexpected support from diverse communities in their fight against harmful practices.

Notable Quotes

• Jamie Reed: "Children have the right to grow up with their fertility, their sexual function, and their endocrine systems intact, whole and functional. It is their basic human right." [56:12]

• Jamie Reed: "Puberty, in my opinion, now is a 'human right.' Because the body requires these steps, and the brain requires the pruning and the slowness of how puberty engages." [10:11]

• Vernadette Broyles: "We have been perpetuating a human rights abuse against children in this country that is a nonpartisan issue." [57:09]

This episode serves as a crucial exposé on the ethical and medical challenges within pediatric gender clinics, advocating for the protection of children's biological integrity and the reinforcement of parental rights in healthcare decisions.