Trans review welcome

The Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) says it is ‘hugely encouraged’ by The Cass Review into gender identity services for under-18s.

Author and renowned paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass writes in the review that children have been let down by a lack of research and ‘remarkably weak’ evidence on medical interventions in gender care.

She also wants gender services for young people to match the standards of other NHS care and says the ‘toxicity’ of the debate around gender meant professionals were ‘afraid’ to openly discuss their views.

Mark Pickering, Chief Executive of CMF, told Evangelicals Now why he was so encouraged by the review: ‘It addresses many of the concerns that CMF has been raising for years. It calls for a fundamentally different approach to gender questioning in children and adolescents, one guided by evidence and not ideology. It recognises that questioning gender is very often one part of a much wider picture, such as pre-existing mental health challenges, difficult family or school situations, or neurodivergence such as autism.’

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of Christian Concern said: ‘The Cass Review makes clear that children have not been told the truth by clinicians and other adults.

‘It is not true that you may be born in the wrong body. It is not true that you can change gender. It is not true that puberty-blockers will help children. It is high time we stopped telling children these things.

‘The pressure of an academic culture captivated by transgender ideology has prevented honest, independent, scientific research. Fundamental to science is the need to be driven by evidence-based scientific research.’