The Cass Review is bad science and should not be taken seriously by policymakers
The Cass Review is bad science and should not be taken seriously by policymakers
TransActual are today publishing an analysis of the flaws in the Cass Report’s approach and conclusions. The Cass Report is fatally flawed in its methodology, and as a result, its recommendations are harmful. Speaking on behalf of TransActual, Keyne Walker said: "It undermines the legal competence o...
I liked this rundown of the Cass Review because the press release and the attached briefing go into why the Cass Review is bad science. A few items from the briefing:
- Trans people were excluded from the core team, but conversion therapist advocates were included.
- The bar for a "quality" study was set impossibly high, requiring blinding and a control group. Blinding is not possible with puberty blockers or hormones because the effects of either are obvious. A control group has significant unethical issues.
- Some claims are made without evidence, like "For many centuries transgender people have been predominantly trans females, commonly presenting in adulthood." No such evidence exists.
I’m honestly disgusted how many liberals and centrists have decided to go mask off after this hack job report came out. So much “progress” is just people saying whatever to fit in, it seems.
Honestly, at first blush I didn't brush it off as hack job. I just kept an eye out because I knew there would be follow ups. Fortunately, organizations like TransActual are doing the leg work to issue rebuttals. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that's going to be enough. I was catching some of The Economist's coverage and it showed a stunning lack of any effort to get a rebuttal. I emailed TransActual urging them to send a Letter to the Editor to The Economist. Hopefully something onto their pages.