NASHVILLE (LifeSiteNews) – Following the revelation of so-called “gender-affirming” procedures taking place at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) “transgender” clinic, the health system has agreed to put all youth surgeries in this department on hold.
On October 7, VUMC Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer C. Wright Pinson wrote to Tennessee legislators informing them of VUMC’s plan to temporarily stop its child mutilation surgeries, pending an internal review of practices.
Daily Wire host Matt Walsh, whose team initially exposed the clinic for performing permanent, life-changing surgeries on children and promoting them as “a huge money maker,” shared the update on Twitter.
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“HUGE NEWS: following our report, Vanderbilt has agreed to pause all gender transition surgeries on minors,” he wrote. “The fight is far from over but this will save children from mutilation and abuse. An incredibly important victory. Praise God.”
HUGE NEWS: following our report, Vanderbilt has agreed to pause all gender transition surgeries on minors. The fight is far from over but this will save children from mutilation and abuse. An incredibly important victory. Praise God.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) October 7, 2022
Shortly after, Walsh posted the full letter, which was written in response to state legislators inquiring about VUMC’s procedures for gender-confused children.
“You have asked that VUMC halt permanent gender affirmation surgeries being performed on minor children,” Pinson wrote. “On September 6, 2022, WPATH [World Professional Association of Transgender Health, an LGBT activist group] published a new version of its recommendations to health care professionals for treatment of transgender persons, known as SOC-8. In light of these new recommendations, and as part of completing our internal clinical review of the SOC-8 guidance in patients under 18, we will be seeking advice from local and national clinical experts. We are pausing gender affirmation surgeries on patients under 18 while we complete this review, which may take several months.”
Pinson added that “we understand this issue is likely to be taken up by the General Assembly in its next legislative session. As always, we will assure that VUMC’s programs comply with any new requirements which may be established as a part of Tennessee law.”
UPDATE: here is the letter Vanderbilt sent to state legislators. Notice the wording at the end. They promise to comply with whatever regulations are imposed. They’ve already conceded the legislative fight. This win is even bigger than we thought. pic.twitter.com/VkKhuiHTUO
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) October 7, 2022
READ: Oklahoma governor signs bill to prevent gender ‘transitions’ at children’s hospital
The letter also addressed concerns regarding the legality of the procedures as well as pressure to participate in surgeries regardless of whether employees are morally opposed to the practice. Pinson said that the program complies with a 2021 Tennessee law that “prohibits providing hormone therapy to prepubertal children.”
Although the videos uncovered by Walsh and his team show a hospital official telling those who oppose the surgeries that they should not work at Vanderbilt, the letter states that “VUMC’s policies and practices allow employees to request an accommodation to be excused from participating in surgeries or procedures they believe are morally objectionable.”
The VUMC’s Transgender Health Clinic was founded in 2018. According to Pinson, the average number of children receiving “gender-affirming” surgeries each year has been five. All of these patients “were at least 16 years of age” and none “received genital procedures.” Every procedure was conducted with parental consent and none received state or federal funding, Pinson said.
Following the public revelation of VUMC’s practices, Republican Gov. Bill Lee called for an investigation into the so-called transgender clinic and its work with minors. The pause in youth “gender-affirming care” is the latest victory in the fight against the LGBT agenda since Tennessee passed the 2021 bill banning the use of “transgender” drugs for children.
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