Mainstream print and blog outlets are failing to fact-check misinformation wielded by Florida GOP officials in attack on trans medical care – Media…

Similarly, the articles from NBC News, Newsweek, and The AP echoed claims in Ladapos letter that medical organizations were guided by political ideology and politics-based medicine in their support for gender-affirming care without any critical pushback. While every major medical organization in America supports access to gender-affirming care, the officials at the forefront of attacking gender-affirming care in Florida include Ladapo, an anti-vaxxer who appeared on Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight in between spreading COVID-19 misinformation in numerous op-eds for The Wall Street Journal; and AHCA Secretary Simone Marstiller, a lawyer with no background in medicine who is a contributor to the right-wing legal organization The Federalist Society. Both Ladapo and Marstiller were appointed to their current positions by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the leading proponent of Floridas attack on trans rights. By failing to look critically at scurrilous accusations of political bias levied against the medical community by Ladapo someone actually engaging in politics-based medicine these outlets are further advancing a platform not grounded in reality.

While articles from the outlets above did quote criticism from medical professionals, they did so in a way that largely framed the issue as a both-sides argument, putting the guidance of political appointees on equal footing with the consensus of the medical community. This framing, combined with a failure to directly fact-check misinformation provided by the Florida officials, provides a wholly inaccurate depiction of the actual safety and science behind gender-affirming care.

Unlike mainstream sources, outlets focused on covering issues related to gender and the LGBTQ community showed a strong grasp of the science behind gender-affirming care and a clear appreciation of the risks posed by the misinformation in Ladapos letter and the AHCA report.

An article from the online LGBTQ magazine them noted that the Medicaid rule change is based on sources that contradict overwhelming and repeatedly confirmed medical consensus regarding the necessity of transition-related medical care, and described the report as specifically challeng[ing] the existing literature indicating the beneficial effects of top surgery, and repeat[ing] the long-debunked statistic that claimed 80% of trans children eventually identify with their birth-assigned gender.

The 19th, a nonprofit outlet focused on issues related to women and LGBTQ people, reported on the story without repeating the misinformation contained in the report and Ladapos letter, instead focusing on the effect the proposed changes would have on trans people living in Florida, specifically noting how the change would adversely affect low-income residents.

Although an article for LGBTQ magazine Gay Times quoted Ladapos letter, it did so while specifically stating that the report relied on out of date and debunked research.

Facing a lack of medical support for his attacks on gender-affirming care, DeSantis is relying on flawed recommendations from the officials he appointed to create the illusion that his bigotry is grounded in science. The entirety of the mainstream medical community in this country has made it clear that it is not.

When those giving a platform to disinformation fail to provide a critical pushback, they are both doing a disservice to their audience and to stakeholders by repeating mistakes made during early reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic. As was the case then, these failures have the potential to cost many lives.

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Mainstream print and blog outlets are failing to fact-check misinformation wielded by Florida GOP officials in attack on trans medical care - Media...