Washington Post Editorial Highlights Positives in Trump HHS Transgender Report, Sparks Debate
Washington, D.C. – May 12, 2025 – The Washington Post editorial board has stirred controversy by identifying positive aspects in a 400-page Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, released on May 1, 2025. Commissioned under President Donald Trump’s January 28, 2025, executive order titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” the report critiques the evidence base for gender-affirming care and advocates for psychotherapy as an alternative, drawing sharp criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates and medical experts but cautious praise from the Post for its attempt to address a contentious issue.
The HHS report, which remains anonymous in authorship to “maintain the integrity” of a post-publication peer review, concludes that gender-affirming care—such as puberty blockers, hormones, and, rarely, surgeries—lacks robust evidence of benefits and poses significant risks to transgender youth. It mirrors the UK’s Cass Review, cited 149 times, and suggests “noninvasive” psychotherapy as a primary treatment for gender dysphoria, a stance critics equate to conversion therapy. The report was mandated to review scientific literature within 90 days, a directive the Post’s editorial lauded as a step toward filling gaps in the debate over pediatric transgender care. “The good news is that the executive order provided some of what is too often missing in the debate over transgender medical care for children,” the Post wrote, emphasizing the need for rigorous study.
However, the Post’s endorsement has drawn fierce backlash. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign and Advocates for Trans Equality, condemned the report as politically motivated pseudoscience designed to justify restrictions on transgender care. “It is already clear that this report is a willful distortion of the evidence intended to stoke fear about a field of safe and effective medicine,” said Sinead Murano Kinney of Advocates for Trans Equality. Critics point to decades of research showing gender-affirming care reduces suicidality and depression in trans youth, with a 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey indicating over 90% of respondents reported greater life satisfaction post-transition.
The report’s anonymity and lack of peer review have fueled skepticism. HHS stated that contributors included “medical doctors, medical ethicists, and a methodologist” with diverse political views, but provided no names or affiliations, prompting accusations of opacity. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), not consulted for the report, criticized its misrepresentation of their recommendations, which endorse comprehensive, gender-affirming care in safe clinical settings. “This report misrepresents the current medical consensus and fails to reflect the realities of pediatric care,” said AAP’s Dr. Susan Kressly.
The Post’s editorial acknowledged flaws, calling for randomized, controlled studies to compare medical interventions with psychotherapy—a suggestion decried as unethical by critics like @leftiblog on X, who argued such trials would deny proven care to vulnerable youth. The Post also noted the report’s alignment with Trump’s broader anti-transgender policies, including bans on federal funding for gender-affirming care for minors, restrictions on transgender military service, and exclusion of trans athletes from women’s sports. These policies, many blocked by courts, have heightened fears among transgender communities, with The Trevor Project reporting record-breaking calls to its crisis lines.
Supporters of the report, such as Do No Harm’s Stanley Goldfarb, hailed it as evidence to “end this misguided practice” and prioritize “evidence-based treatment.” On X, @Bernard_Lane highlighted the Post’s editorial as a notable acknowledgment from a non-conservative outlet, suggesting it lends credibility to the report’s findings. Conversely, @CV_Dalcher’s thread on X dissected the Post’s coverage as overly sympathetic, accusing it of glossing over the report’s biases.
The HHS report follows Trump’s aggressive rollback of transgender protections, including the termination of $477 million in research grants, removal of transgender health data from federal websites, and guidance asserting sex as “unchangeable.” Under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the agency has prioritized policies rejecting gender identity, escalating tensions with medical bodies like the American Medical Association, which supports gender-affirming care as evidence-based.
As the Supreme Court prepares to rule on Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care this spring, the HHS report and the Post’s editorial have intensified debates over transgender youth care. While the Post sees value in sparking discussion, critics argue it risks legitimizing a document that could harm a vulnerable population. The clash underscores the polarized landscape of transgender health policy under the Trump administration.
This article draws on reports from The Washington Post, CNN, NPR, and posts on X for context and accuracy.