“We are finally seeing the beginning of the end to the cult of ‘sex-rejecting’ genital mutilation,” said Kris Ullman, President of Eagle Forum. “We applaud the verdict in the first detransitioner malpractice lawsuit to go to trial. In addition, we are pleased that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has now disavowed these treatments for gender dysphoric minors.”
A jury in New York awarded Fox Varian $2 million in damages, finding that the medical professionals involved violated the standards of care and performed a double mastectomy without adequate consent. Fox Varian and her mother argued they were pushed by psychologist Kenneth Einhorn to move forward with gender mutilation procedures, claiming that refusal to do so would result in Varian committing suicide. Plastic surgeon Simon Chin removed Varian’s healthy breasts after only two consultations. The medical professionals ignored her underlying issues of body dysmorphia and depression.
In response, the ASPS released a new Position Statement on February 3, regarding the efficacy of such procedures. Their revised statement “recommends that surgeons delay gender-related breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old.”
“For too long, struggling children and their families have been preyed upon by peddlers of junk science pushing extreme agendas,” stated Eagle Forum President Kris Ullman. “Young lives are being destroyed despite dangers outlined in multiple studies and the cautionary voices of de-transitioners. The medical establishment has ignored its duty of care to first do no harm. Vulnerable children need to be treated with compassion, not scalpels and drugs that permanently mutilate their bodies.”
Ullman continued, “Fox Varian has exposed these so-called doctors for what they are: snake-oil salesmen. Her bravery paves the way for more damaged individuals to hold medical professionals accountable for permanently disfiguring their bodies. While Fox Varian can never be made whole, her actions may prevent other young people from a similar fate.”
“We are grateful that the ASPS has finally acknowledged the harm inherent to minors from these surgeries. We are hopeful the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association will soon follow the science and denounce all sex-rejecting procedures.”
Eagle Forum has been active in the effort to protect children from genital mutilation since 2020, when one of its state affiliates, Eagle Forum of Alabama, began lobbying for the passage of the Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Law (VCAP). This legislation, to ban puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and genital surgeries, was signed into law in 2022 and quickly challenged. The case against the law was eventually dropped when the Supreme Court decided, in US v. Skrimetti, that such bans are constitutional and do not violate the 14th Amendment. Eagle Forum members will continue to support federal and state legislation that defunds these horrific procedures, extends the statute of limitations on these cases, and protects children from permanent disfigurement. For more information, visit our website here.
Eagle Forum was founded by Phyllis Schlafly, a dynamic and charismatic leader who inspired countless women and men to participate in the process of self-government and public policy-making so that America will continue to be a land of individual liberty, with respect for the nuclear family, public and private virtue, and private enterprise. For nearly fifty years, Eagle Forum’s network of state organizations has led the charge to mobilize the grassroots to defend the founding principles of the United States.
