Dr. Michael O'Brien: Eager to ‘Affirm,’ Yet Unwilling to Debate

I hope this fundraiser encourages gender-affirming doctors to reconsider their staunch “no debate” stance and, ultimately, to abandon it.

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Dear RLS Readers,

You’ll hopefully remember that last week I invited pediatrician Dr. O’Brien to participate in a good-faith written exchange with Manhattan Institute fellow and gender medicine expert Dr. Leor Sapir on the findings of the Cass Review and the broader topic of gender-affirming care. This invitation came after Dr. O’Brien, an aggressive outspoken proponent of “gender-affirming care,” publicly dismissed the Cass Review as “a sham at best.”

To encourage Dr. O’Brien’s participation, I started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the children’s hospital of Dr O’Brien’s choosing if he agreed to provide a detailed critique of the Cass Review, outlining his reasons for dismissing it as “a sham at best,” and engage with at least one rebuttal from Dr Sapir.

Launched on 23 May, the GoFundMe campaign attracted more than $5,000 in pledges in just two hours. By the morning of the 24th, contributions had exceeded $10,000. That evening, a surprise $5,000 donation from J.K. Rowling, coupled with her encouragement to others to contribute, propelled the total beyond $20,000. On 29 May, we reached our goal of $30,000.

You can read the full details of how events unfolded in my latest article for Quillette by clicking the image below.

When I initially set the fundraising goal at $10,000, I thought it was overly ambitious. Yet, in just one week, your contributions exceeding $30,000 have demonstrated how important getting to the truth on this topic is to you. I am overwhelmed by your generosity.

I am equally dismayed that Dr. O'Brien has still refused to engage in discussion, despite the significant benefits it could have brought both to the spirit of academic debate and to the material well-being of sick and injured children. It is baffling that a pediatrician would decline to participate, both morally and logically.

Due to Dr. O'Brien’s refusal to debate, I have initiated a refund to all donors for their contributions. I considered extending the invitation to other prominent “gender-affirming” doctors, but felt duty-bound to adhere to the original terms. If even one donor had objected, I would essentially be stealing their money. This is not my money, and I will not make decisions on anyone’s behalf. All donors will receive their refund within 3-7 business days.

However, I strongly encourage donors to consider personally reallocating their contributions to a children’s hospital of their choice—or to one of several organizations working diligently to inform doctors, parents, and policymakers about the risks associated with GAC. Among the organizations leading these efforts are the LGBT Courage Coalition, the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, Genspect, Do No Harm, and Therapy First.

I hope this fundraiser encourages gender-affirming doctors to reconsider their staunch “no debate” stance and, ultimately, to abandon it. Open discussion of the science is essential to ensure that children receive the care they need and deserve.

Thank you all for supporting this important effort.

Sincerely,

Colin

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