A wide-ranging alliance of trans organisations, academic experts and individuals involved in trans healthcare have this week written to Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to express their deep lack of confidence in the Cass Review, as well as concerns over DHSC’s further degrading of the healthcare offer for trans people by implementing and extending its recommendations.
The letter points out that the review was originally set up to look at issues and difficulties faced by trans individuals in engaging with gender services. Instead, it has finessed these concerns by imposing a highly controversial and damaging policy in a manner wholly at odds with how good research in the medical field is caried out.
The letter points out that the review was originally set up to look at issues and difficulties faced by trans individuals in engaging with gender services. Instead, it has finessed these concerns by imposing a highly controversial and damaging policy in a manner wholly at odds with how good research in the medical field is caried out.
According to Keyne Walker, TransActual Strategy Director: “There are major failings in the review:
“There are concerns that Baroness Cass was not as neutral as previously claimed. This is not helped by the fact she was picked from a ‘shortlist’ of one under the influence of an Equalities Minister who has publicly claimed that biased individuals were appointed specifically to obtain the result she sought.
“Trans people were specifically excluded from the review process. This is in clear contravention of the NHS principle of ‘nothing about us without us.’
“Meanwhile, spurious and misleading theories have been included with no supporting evidence. Yet, the official line, from the review team and government has been to dismiss and refuse to answer criticisms from experts both domestic and international.
“The Health Secretary was not involved in the commissioning of the Cass Review. Further, he has gone on the record, since the election, as hoping for a reset in Government-LGBTQ+ relations. Yet his actions in this are the exact opposite of that. He has pushed on to support and implement this review, which evidence suggests is already doing immense harm to trans children.
“It is a poison chalice, and one that will likely return to haunt him in years to come.”
The letter makes three key requests:
– That government explain in full how the Cass Review was commissioned;
– That it suspend the implementation of the Review’s recommendations immediately, including removing the current prohibitions on prescription of GnRH analogues (‘puberty blockers’) for trans children;
– That it support the British Medical Association’s ongoing review of the Review’s methodology and conclusions.
Further Information
For further information, contact jane fae on 07780 994646, or email press@transactual.org.uk
Full text of the letter is available at http://transactual.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Letter-to-Wes-Streeting-from-TransActual-and-others-re-the-Cass-Review-Oct-2024.pdf
Significant academic critiques of the Cass Review may be found at https://transactual.org.uk/advocacy/critiques-of-the-cass-review/
Evidence on the impacts of the Cass Review on trans children: https://feministgenderequality.network/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Children_of_Omelas_Effects_of_the_UK_Pub.pdf?x56530
Letter Signatories
A list of all those signed up to the letter as at noon, 15 October 2024 is included in the attached release. Key signatories include TransActual UK, GIRES and the Feminist Gender Equality Network (FGEN).