Transitioning children to a new gender–sterilizing them and even surgically mutilating them–is wrong and is not based on science or medicine, said the pediatric endocrinologist who completed a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University and knew the man behind the original craze. Neither do these “gender-affirming care” protocols help reduce suicide, Dr. Van Meter added.

The goal of the forces pushing this, he said in this warning, is to tear the family apart.