A federal judge requested a major transgender advocacy organization to supply documents pertaining to its guidance on trans-identifying youth, according to a Tuesday report.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) has been subpoenaed by the state of Alabama to provide information regarding its process of advising minors, according to the Alabama-based outlet 1819 News. The state reportedly previously requested documents from the organization, but WPATH filed a motion to quash. (RELATED: Media Twists Itself Into Knots Covering Transgender School Shooter)
The state’s interest in the organization came after fighting a court battle to preserve its 2022 ban on transitioning individuals under 19 years old, the outlet reported. Plaintiffs used WPATH, among other organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), to bolster their arguments against the state’s 2022 ban.
A motion in favor of the state won Monday, with U.S. District Judge Liles Burke filing an internal documents request from WPATH.
A person holds a transgender pride flag as people gather on Christopher Street outside the Stonewall Inn for a rally to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York, June 28, 2019. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
The state has requested information from the organization pertaining to the process it uses to establish its official positions, the potential role it plays in establishing positions for other groups involved with trans-identifying youth, reviews of literature regarding trans-identifying youth, and whether WPATH has reviewed the U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) literature reviews, as well as Swedish and French statements on providing treatment to trans-identifying youth.
The findings of Swedish, French and U.K.-based medical organizations sharply deviate from the “gender-affirming” model often touted in the U.S., with those countries recently advocating for increased caution surrounding surgery and puberty blockers for children.
WPATH is considered by the plaintiffs to be the standard-bearer for providing treatment guidelines for youth with gender dysphoria, 1819 reported. U.S. hospitals including Johns Hopkins, Stanford and Brigham and Women’s use WPATH to set guidelines on treatments for adult and youth patients.
The organization initially filed a motion to quash the state of Alabama’s documents request, arguing the subpoena violated its First Amendment rights, was irrelevant to the plaintiffs’ case and “imposed undue burden,” 1819 reported.