Former President Donald Trump has continued claiming that schools in the United States are forcibly sending children for gender-affirming surgeries without the consent of their parents.
Trump first made the claim during a campaign event at the annual Moms for Liberty summit in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 30 during a conversation with the conservative nonprofit group's cofounder Tiffany Justice.
"The transgender thing is incredible. Think of it: Your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation," Trump said.
He repeated his claim again twice in the past week, with the latest being during a Friday interview with podcast host Joe Rogan. In that interview, Trump again claimed schools facilitated unconsented gender-affirming surgeries to "turn" children "into a male---to a female." He further claimed that there were "areas" where this happened but refused to name the supposed places.
Is There Truth Behind Trump's Claims?
There is no evidence to back Trump's claims. In an email to CNN, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Landon Hughes, said there are no healthcare providers in the US that would perform gender-affirming surgeries on a minor without getting the consent of their parents.
Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics also note that gender-affirming care, which includes surgery, would require the consent of a parent or a guardian if they are to be performed on a patient under the age of 18.
Trump's team has also been unable to provide any evidence to back his claim, the news outlet said. Instead, they sent articles on how schools handle issues related to a child's gender identity.
What Does Actual Data Show?
In 2020, gender-affirming surgeries in the US declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those who underwent gender-affirming procedures, the majority were individuals aged 19 to 30.
Only about 7% of patients under 18 received gender-affirming surgical care, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open. A majority of these surgeries were performed among teens aged 17 and 18 and involved less invasive procedures.
It is also important to note that while gender-affirming care is given to transgender youths when appropriate, surgeries are rarely performed on minors.
