Quentin Van Meter

Last updated
Quentin Van Meter
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Medical College of Virginia
Occupation(s)Physician, professor, president of conservative pediatric group, anti-LGBTQ activist
Known forConversion therapy advocate
SpouseKathy Van Meter
Children4

Quentin Van Meter (born September 13, 1947) is a pediatric endocrinologist and president of the American College of Pediatricians, a socially conservative advocacy group which is known for opposing gay marriage, gender reassignment surgery, and abortion. [1] [2] [3] He has advocated and referred his clients to conversion therapy and is known for rejecting the medical consensus on the efficacy and safety of transgender health care. [4] [5] [6]

History and advocacy

Van Meter cancelled his 37-year membership of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in protest of its inclusive stance regarding LGBT people. Van Meter has stated the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) was formed when the AAP established a position that gay couples could raise children without adverse effects on their well-being. [1] Van Meter has treated 15 patients diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and stated he referred them to conversion therapy. [5]

In March 2016, Van Meter, as vice president of ACPeds signed a position statement called "Gender Ideology Harms Children" that claimed transgender youth don't exist and transgender people are mentally ill. The Southern Poverty Law Center described it as "anti-trans rhetoric" and has noted that ACPeds has deliberately misrepresented legitimate research in its attacks on LGBT people, to the point that at least one social scientist demanded that the group stop." [1]

In October 2016, North Carolina attempted to pass HB2, which revoked local LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances in the state and forbids transgender people using the bathroom aligning with their gender. The federal government made a motion to halt enforcement of the bill. In August, the state filed a brief defending the bill and provided a court with a statement from Van Meter alleging "gender identity discordance" is "a delusional state". [7]

In November 2017, Van Meter spoke at an anti-LGBT conference organized by the Texas chapter of MassResistance. He gave a presentation titled "Teens for Truth Conference: Countering the LGBT Agenda" hosted at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas. [8] [5]

In 2018, Van Meter, now President of ACPEDs was scheduled to speak at the University of Western Australia (UWA) as a stop on a national tour sponsored by the Australian Family Association. Students protested the conference, with a petition to cancel gaining 6000 signatories. The conference was cancelled, with the university stating it was because they had not filed risk assessment paperwork in time. The UWA Student Guild President found it bittersweet that it was cancelled due to administrative reasons and not because it was "hate speech." The UWA released a statement which said "The views which have been expressed by the speakers in the past, particularly with respect to transgender people, are at odds with the university's values of respect for human dignity and diversity," but that cancelling the event would "create an undesirable precedent for the exclusion of objectionable views." [2] [4]

In November 2018, Van Meter gave a speech titled “The Travesty of the Current State of Transgender Medicine” for the conversion therapy advocacy group the International Federation for Therapeutic and Counseling Choice. [9]

In November 2019 in Georgia, Meter supported an Atlanta bill by Ginny Ehrhart which would make it a felony to provide hormone treatments or gender affirmation surgery on minors. The SPLC stated "Not only does it contradict the overwhelming medical consensus on treating gender dysphoria by professional medical organizations such as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, among many others, but it also puts children at risk of irreparable harm." [9] [6] [10]

In February 2020, Van Meter was presented as an expert witness in the case of a Texas divorce case where the couple's child was undergoing gender-affirming care which one parent wanted to end and the other wanted to continue. The judge ruled that Van Meter was "discredited as an expert" and could not offer expert testimony on "the legal question of whether an adolescent transgender child should be administered puberty blockers and whether affirmation of an incongruent gender in a child is harmful or not." [10]

In March 2020 Van Meter testified to the Pennsylvania House Health Committee alongside Stephen B. Levine, opposing informed consent for transgender minors. In September, Van Meter testified to the Pennsylvania House Health Committee again, calling statistics showing transgender youth are more likely to be suicidal skewed samples. [10]

In 2020, Van Meter served as an expert defending the state from a lawsuit represented by the ACLU and Lambda Legal demanding trans people be allowed to change their gender on their birth certificate, since it forced them to out themselves to others and risk danger. The Department of Health refused to comment on why he was chosen as an expert. When the plaintiffs' lawyers asked him to explain why he was chosen, he said he didn't know and traced his reputation back to the "Teens for Truth Conference: Countering the LGBT Agenda". [5] [10]

In February 2021, Van Meter was invited to lead a conference on conversion therapy in Singapore called "Transgenderism: Science vs Ideology" hosted by Focus on the Family Singapore and the founders of the Yellow Ribbon Project and Dads for Life. [11] [12] That month he also testified for HB29 in Utah which would prohibit clinicians, doctors, and surgeons from providing gender affirming surgeries or providing hormone therapy to transgender minors. [13]

In April 2021 Meter supported the Arkansas "Save Adolescents from Experimentation act", which probitited doctors providing transgender healthcare to minors or referring them to services that could offer it. The bill also bars insurance from covering minors transition related healthcare and says they're not required to cover it for adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics opposed the bill. [14] [15]

In March 2022, Meter testified in favor of an Idaho Bill which would criminalize doctors providing gender affirming healthcare to minors. [16] [17]

In October 2022, Van Meter served as an expert for Florida in a bill that prevents Medicaid from covering transgender healthcare for low-income adults and minors. In his assessment, he stated the rise in transgender children seeking care was due to "online recruiting and grooming of vulnerable children and adolescents by a generously funded political movement aimed at dissolving the reality and birthright of biologic sex." Medical organizations state the increase is due to better understanding and acknowledgement of gender dysphoria. The authors of the state report failed to disclose whether they were paid for research. [3] [18] [19]

Related Research Articles

Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identity—their personal sense of their own gender—and their sex assigned at birth. Previously, the diagnostic label gender identity disorder (GID) was used, until it was eliminated in 2013 with the release of the diagnostic manual DSM-5 in favor of the current term. The condition was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT people in prison</span> LGBTQ in prison

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people face difficulties in prison such as increased vulnerability to sexual assault, other kinds of violence, and trouble accessing necessary medical care. While much of the available data on LGBTQ inmates comes from the United States, Amnesty International maintains records of known incidents internationally in which LGBTQ prisoners and those perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender have suffered torture, ill-treatment and violence at the hands of fellow inmates as well as prison officials.

In the United States, the rights of transgender people vary considerably by jurisdiction. There is a coordinated national campaign by conservative/right-wing politicians and organizations to target transgender rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in West Virginia</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of West Virginia face legal challenges not faced by non-LGBT persons. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1976, and same-sex marriage has been recognized since October 2014. West Virginia statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender youth</span> Children and adolescents who are transgender

Transgender youth are children or adolescents who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Because transgender youth are usually dependent on their parents for care, shelter, financial support, and other needs, transgender youth face different challenges compared to adults. According to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, appropriate care for transgender youth may include supportive mental health care, social transition, and/or puberty blockers, which delay puberty and the development of secondary sex characteristics to allow children more time to explore their gender identity. In Europe, some medical groups and countries have discouraged or limited the use of puberty blockers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Florida</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Florida face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity became legal in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas on June 26, 2003, and same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since January 6, 2015. Discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations is outlawed following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. In addition, several cities and counties, comprising about 55 percent of Florida's population, have enacted anti-discrimination ordinances. These include Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach, among others. Conversion therapy is also banned in a number of cities in the state, mainly in Palm Beach County and the Miami metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American College of Pediatricians</span> Right-wing anti-LGBTQ advocacy group

The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) is a socially conservative advocacy group of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals in the United States, founded in 2002. The group's primary focus is advocating against abortion rights and against rights for gay, queer, and trans people. ACPeds promotes conversion therapy and purity culture. As of 2022, its membership has been reported at about 700 physicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in New York</span>

The U.S. state of New York has generally been seen as socially liberal in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". The advocacy movement for LGBT rights in the state has been dated as far back as 1969 during the Stonewall riots in New York City. Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults has been legal since the New York v. Onofre case in 1980. Same-sex marriage has been legal statewide since 2011, with some cities recognizing domestic partnerships between same-sex couples since 1998. Discrimination protections in credit, housing, employment, education, and public accommodation have explicitly included sexual orientation since 2003 and gender identity or expression since 2019. Transgender people in the state legally do not have to undergo sex reassignment surgery to change their sex or gender on official documents since 2014. In addition, both conversion therapy on minors and the gay and trans panic defense have been banned since 2019. Since 2021, commercial surrogacy has been legally available within New York State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Kentucky</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. commonwealth of Kentucky still face some legal challenges not experienced by other people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Kentucky. Same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples. On February 12, 2014, a federal judge ruled that the state must recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions, but the ruling was put on hold pending review by the Sixth Circuit. Same sex-marriage is now legal in the state under the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. The decision, which struck down Kentucky's statutory and constitutional bans on same-sex marriages, and all other same sex marriage bans elsewhere in the country, was handed down on June 26, 2015.

Puberty blockers, also called puberty inhibitors or hormone blockers, are medicines used to postpone puberty in children. The most commonly used puberty blockers are gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, which suppress the production of sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. In addition to their use in treating precocious puberty in children, puberty blockers are also used for transgender children to delay the development of unwanted sex characteristics, so as to allow transgender youth more time to explore their gender identity.

Detransition is the cessation or reversal of a transgender identification or gender transition, whether by social, legal, or medical means. Some individuals detransition on a temporary basis, and others detransition permanently.

<i>Irreversible Damage</i> 2020 book by Abigail Shrier

Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters is a 2020 book by Abigail Shrier, published by Regnery Publishing, which endorses the contentious concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria. ROGD is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by any major professional institution and is not backed by credible scientific evidence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas House Bill 1570 (2021)</span> 2021 Arkansas state law

Arkansas House Bill 1570, also known as the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act or Act 626, is a 2021 law in the state of Arkansas that bans gender-affirming medical procedures for transgender people under 18, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex reassignment surgery. The law also bans the use of public funds for and prohibits insurance from covering gender transition procedures, while doctors who provide treatment in violation of the ban can be sued for damages or professionally sanctioned. The measure makes Arkansas the first U.S. state to make gender-affirming medical care illegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender Trend</span> British pressure group

Transgender Trend is an anti-trans British pressure group, which describes itself as a group of parents, professionals and academics who are concerned about the number of children diagnosed with gender dysphoria. It was founded in 2015 by Stephanie Davies-Arai.

Stella O'Malley is an Irish psychotherapist and author, with three books on parenting and mental health. She is a regular contributor to Irish national newspapers, podcasts, and TV. She made a documentary about gender dysphoria in children for Channel 4, and is the founder Genspect, a self-described gender critical organisation opposed to transgender rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genspect</span> Organization opposing transgender rights

Genspect is an international group founded in June 2021 by psychotherapist Stella O'Malley that describes itself as "gender-critical". Genspect is known for criticizing and opposing gender-affirming care, as well as social and medical transition for transgender people. Genspect opposes allowing transgender people under 25 years old to transition, opposes laws that would ban conversion therapy on the basis of gender identity, and opposes public health coverage for transgender healthcare at any age. Genspect also endorses the concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD), which proposes a subclass of gender dysphoria caused by peer influence and social contagion. ROGD has been rejected by major medical organisations due to its lack of evidence and likelihood to cause harm by stigmatizing gender-affirming care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine</span> Organization opposing transgender rights

The Society For Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) is a non-profit organization that is known for opposing standards of care for transgender youth and engaging in political lobbying. The group routinely cites the theory of rapid-onset gender dysphoria and has claimed that conversion therapy can only be practiced on the basis of sexual orientation rather than gender identity. SEGM is often cited in anti-transgender legislation and court cases, sometimes providing evidence briefs themselves. It is not officially recognized as a scientific organization by the international medical community.

The International Federation for Therapeutic and Counseling Choice (IFTCC) is a London-based organization that internationally lobbies governments and religious organizations to oppose bans on conversion therapy, the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, which has condemned by medical organizations and human rights groups as "unethical, unscientific and ineffective and, in some instances, tantamount to torture."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Cole</span> American activist (born 2004/2005)

Chloe Cole is an American activist who opposes gender-affirming care for minors and supports bans on such care following her own detransition. She has appeared with conservative politicians and in the media, supporting and advocating for such bans. Cole says that she began transitioning at 12 and detransitioned at 17 after having undergone treatment which included puberty blockers, testosterone, and a double mastectomy.

The 2020s anti-LGBT movement in the United States is an ongoing conservative political backlash against LGBT people which has included bathroom use restrictions, bans on gender transition, "don't say gay" laws, laws against drag performances, book bans, boycotts, and conspiracy theories around grooming.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Anti-LGBT Hate Group Releases Anti-Trans Position Statement". Southern Poverty Law Center. April 7, 2016. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  2. 1 2 "US professor, who says being transgender is a 'delusion', to speak at WA university". The Guardian. 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  3. 1 2 Perez, Reina (September 13, 2022). "Lawsuit Suggests Zealotry Disguised as Medicine Led to Denial of Medicaid Coverage for Trans Treatments". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  4. 1 2 Carmody, James (2018-08-17). "University of WA pulls plug on talk by controversial transgender sceptic". ABC News. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Zuckerman, Jake (2020-02-05). "Conversion therapy is a discredited practice. Ohio hired its advocate as an expert witness". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  6. 1 2 "American College of Pediatricians". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2022-10-14. Van Meter, who is popular on the anti-LGBTQ circuit, touts the discredited practice of conversion therapy in addition to anti-trans pseudoscience.
  7. ↑ Stern, Mark Joseph (2016-08-19). "North Carolina Tells Court Trans People Aren't Really Trans, Just "Delusional"". Slate. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  8. ↑ "Anti-LGBT Roundup 11.22.2017". Southern Poverty Law Center. November 22, 2017. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  9. 1 2 Saunders, Patrick (2019-11-01). "Atlanta doctor who backs anti-trans bill leads hate group". Project Q. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Caruso, Stephen (2020-09-15). "A Texas judge ruled this doctor was not an expert. A Pennsylvania Republican invited him to testify on trans health care". Pennsylvania Capital Star. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  11. ↑ "American anti-trans activist invited to give Singaporeans a 'better understanding'". Coconuts. February 24, 2021. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  12. ↑ Wong, Dale John (2021-02-25). "Homophobic U.S. doctor gets invited to teach Singaporeans about transgenderism". Mashable. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  13. ↑ Imlay, Ashley (February 19, 2021). "Proposed ban on gender reassignment treatment for minors stalls at Utah Capitol". KSL. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  14. ↑ Frieden, Joyce (2021-04-01). "Arkansas May Bar Gender Transition Care for Minors". Medpage Today. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  15. ↑ Stahl, Aviva (April 16, 2021). "The Science Behind Those Anti-Trans Healthcare Bills Is Bullsh*t, According To Experts". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  16. ↑ Land, Joni Auden. "Idaho trans kids fear losing gender-affirming medical care as bill moves to House floor". Idaho Statesmen. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  17. ↑ Russell, Betsy Z. (March 4, 2022). "Idaho House panel backs bill to make trans youth treatment a felony". Idaho State Journal. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  18. ↑ Mueller, Sarah (2022-07-10). "A hearing on banning Florida Medicaid payments for gender-affirming care pits religion against science". WSFU. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  19. ↑ Kam, Dara (2022-07-15). "Report targets Florida over its transgender treatment plan". WUWF. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
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