Correction (4/30/24): This article originally erroneously labeled contributing editor at the American Spectator Scott McKay as antisemitic; to support the label, it linked to a piece about a different person named Scott McKay. We apologize for the error.

In an on-going effort by right-wing media to deny the broad consensus among American medical organizations that gender-affirming care for trans youth is effective and necessary, anti-trans media figures have latched onto a flawed report out of Britain in order to push for broad restrictions and, in at least one instance, suggest that violence against the parents of trans children is justified. 

The Cass Review is the result of an investigation by England’s National Health Service into gender-affirming care, ordered at a time of increasing anti-trans animosity in Britain. An interim report from the same team of researchers was released in 2022 and criticized by leading bodies on trans health care for, among other flaws, selectively quoting researchers and ignoring newer evidence in making its arguments.

The final report — which claims the evidence in support of gender-affirming care is weak, calls for dramatic restrictions on gender-affirming care for trans youth, and further appears to suggest that no medical interventions should be taken before the age of 25 — has been met with similar criticism. Critics claim the review’s primary conclusions rely on excluding 100 out of 102 available studies and have highlighted researchers’ biases, citing connections to groups and figures that advocate for restrictions on gender-affirming medical care. 

Anti-trans media used the flawed findings in the Cass Report to push misinformation and restrictions on trans health care and seemingly to justify violence

Right-wing media were quick to use publication of the Cass Report to claim vindication for their pervasive and politicized anti-trans coverage and to push further extreme rhetoric. 

On Fox News, co-host of The Five Greg Gutfeld used the report to claim “genital mutilation and this permanent hormone stuff was a proactive attack on vulnerable humans and it was based on nonscience” and called on his audience to thank figures like Libs of TikTok and Michael Shellenberger for fighting against gender-affirming care. Gutfeld then compared gender-affirming care to “Nazi doctors who experimented on Jews during the Holocaust” and said those who provided said care would “have their reckoning.”

A Daily Wire article falsely characterized the report as concluding “that medical gender transitions — particularly for children — do more harm than good,” a claim not made in the report. 

A spate of articles from conservative outlets and organizations further used the Cass Report to push for policies far beyond the scope of the report. 

A piece by the New York Post’s editorial board used the Cass Review to argue against passage of an equal rights amendment to the New York Constitution that would include protections against discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes. The board characterized those who support gender-affirming care as “protecting actual Dr. Frankensteins maiming sexually-confused kids.” 

Another op-ed from the Post argued that no child should have access to gender-affirming care, and seemed to suggest that even allowing trans youth to socially transition — which can include anything from name changes to haircuts — should be restricted. 

Leadership from the Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization pushing for the right to deny services to LGBTQ people, restrictions on transition care and legislation banning abortion, reacted to the report by falsely claiming gender-affirming care is experimental and arguing against laws that ban conversion therapy. 

Meanwhile, an article in The Federalist on the report erroneously summarized the findings by saying the review “says chemical and surgical interventions on children deemed gender dysphoric does not lead to positive outcomes” and suggesting it was a misstep for medical organizations to declassify “transgenderism” as a mental disorder. 

The next escalation in rhetoric following the Cass Report was found in an April 17 piece in The American Spectator by Scott McKay titled “The Trans Reckoning Is Not Yet Here — But It’s Coming Soon,” with the subheadline “Preparations ought to be made now.” McKay’s piece used the Cass Report to argue doctors providing gender-affirming care were “sexually mutilating” children before appearing to suggest that the murder of parents who affirm trans youth would be justified, comparing it to someone who murders their spouse for molesting their child and saying “there’s a pretty broad consensus that she shouldn’t be punished for it."