<div>America&#8217;s most powerful group of pediatricians, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), has called denying children puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries harmful.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Denying a child so-called &#8220;gender-affirming care&#8221; was labeled a form of &#8220;medical neglect&#8221; and &#8220;emotional abuse&#8221; in <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/153/1/e2023064292/196236/Prohibition-of-Gender-Affirming-Care-as-a-Form-of?autologincheck=redirected">a December 2023</a> paper published in the AAP&#8217;s medical journal, Pediatrics. Parents across the country have had children <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-sends-new-guidance-to-all-50-states-on-trans-kid-disputes">removed</a> by child protective services for affirming their child’s natural sex.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Buried in this <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-477/323964/20240903155151548_23-477%20tsac%20Brief%20of%20Amici%20Curiae%20AAP%20et%20al..pdf">belief</a> is an open secret: pediatricians who embrace gender ideology view parents as harming — and possibly abusing — their children if they refuse to support the child&#8217;s transition to another sex.</div>
<div></div>
<div>While the AAP suggests that not affirming a child&#8217;s <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/132/1/e297/31402/Office-Based-Care-for-Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual">transgender</a> identity causes emotional and psychological <a href="https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/aap-voices/why-we-stand-up-for-transgender-children-and-teens/?srsltid=AfmBOop1hSO_tAwdoxX9YOW4JyRl7y77MgcUBAFmT1kaPzFdmk6a73l4">harm</a>, it has failed to clarify how this belief impacts parents and parental rights.</div>
<div></div>
<div>The Daily Wire asked the AAP outright if it believes parents who affirm their child&#8217;s natural sex and refuse to provide so-called “gender affirming care” are abusing their children. The AAP did not respond to multiple requests for comment.</div>
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<div>Given the AAP’s extensive reach — the organization claims <a href="https://www.aap.org/en/about-the-aap/">67,000 members</a>, while there are an <a href="https://www.abp.org/dashboards/general-pediatricians-us-state-and-county-maps">estimated</a> 60,000 active pediatricians in America — its views on gender ideology and non-affirming parents impact how medicine is practiced in pediatric offices across the country.</div>
<div></div>
<div>A review of the group&#8217;s public statements and policies suggests the group views parental non-affirmation of gender identity as a form of child abuse — something doctors should actively look for.</div>
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<div>&#8220;<a href="https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/lgbtq-health-and-wellness/a-pediatricians-guide-to-an-lgbtq-friendly-practice/">A Pediatrician’s Guide to an LGBTQ+ Friendly Practice</a>&#8221; gives pediatricians a road map to discover if a family “accepts” the gender identity of their “LGBTQ+” child and recommends that doctors routinely ask teens about their gender identity in private, without parental knowledge.</div>
<div></div>
<div>“Normalize confidential, one-on-one discussions with adolescents and young adults as part of routine adolescent medical care,” states the guide. “Explore whether your [electronic health record] can ‘hide’ sensitive information.”</div>
<div></div>
<div>The guide gives doctors a series of scripted questions to use when having confidential conversations with teens about gender identity and family dynamics, including:  ​</div>
<div></div>
<div>“Identities grow and evolve over time. Do you want to talk more about your gender or sexuality today?”</div>
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<div>“Do you need support or have any questions as you navigate your gender identity, sexual orientation, or relationships?” ​</div>
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<div>“How much do your caregivers know about your identity? How does their behavior toward you/your friends reflect that? How safe do you feel at home?”</div>
<div></div>
<div>Family acceptance of gender identity is viewed as a critical safety issue within several <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/132/1/198/31354/Office-Based-Care-for-Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual">AAP policies,</a> and the guide encourages doctors to ask teens, “How does your family accept and support you?”</div>
<div></div>
<div>The AAP’s gender medicine <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/4/e20182162/37381/Ensuring-Comprehensive-Care-and-Support-for">policy</a> has an entire section devoted to the <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/Pages/Gender-Diverse-Transgender-Children.aspx?_gl=1*1dvwhgh*_ga*MTM0NDM4NDI5LjE3NzMxNjcwNzQ.*_ga_FD9D3XZVQQ*czE3NzU4Mjg2MjQkbzM3JGcxJHQxNzc1ODMxMjY3JGo2MCRsMCRoMA..">importance</a> of &#8220;family acceptance&#8221; and warns pediatricians to look out for families that deny their child sex-change medical interventions, saying this could raise “safety” concerns.</div>
<div></div>
<div>&#8220;Some families may take issue with providers who address gender concerns or offer gender-affirming care,&#8221; states the policy. &#8220;In rare cases, a family may deny access to care that raises concerns about the youth’s welfare and safety; in those cases, additional legal or ethical support may be useful to consider.&#8221;</div>
<div></div>
<div>The Family Acceptance Project (FAP), an intervention claiming to reduce &#8220;health risks&#8221; for &#8220;LGBTQ&#8221; youth by increasing family affirmation of a child&#8217;s gender identity, is listed as a resource on the AAP <a href="https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/lgbtq-health-and-wellness/?srsltid=AfmBOooX5ne3OrGOQMhAhgFhiqQ4yn4VLGpiFyAPS179O6nKlJYVd_EK">website</a>. ​</div>
<div></div>
<div>The program has identified more than 50 harmful &#8220;rejecting&#8221; family behaviors and 50 &#8220;accepting&#8221; behaviors that create safety, according to its <a href="https://lgbtqfamilyacceptance.org/about/">website</a>. Harmful parental &#8220;rejecting&#8221; behaviors include not allowing children to cross-dress, not using a child&#8217;s chosen name or pronoun, and denying participation in LGBTQ support groups, <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/FAP_English-Rejection-Poster_8.5x11_2023.pdf">documents show</a>. Helpful parental &#8220;accepting&#8221; behaviors include connecting a child with an LGBTQ adult role model, using a child&#8217;s chosen pronouns, and participating in family LGBTQ support groups, <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/FAP_English-General-Acceptance-Poster_18x24_2023.pdf">documents show</a>.​</div>
<div></div>
<div>The Family Acceptance Project did not respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s request for comment.</div>
<div></div>
<div>FAP&#8217;s documents were taken offline after The Daily Wire viewed them.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Kurt Miceli, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Do No Harm, says pediatricians should not be pushing vulnerable kids towards medical transition.</div>
<div></div>
<div>&#8220;Loving parents should not be treated as welfare risks requiring legal intervention; instead, they should be included as partners in supporting their child’s well‑being, helping their son or daughter navigate distress, and fulfilling their responsibility to protect their child from irreversible harm,&#8221; Miceli told The Daily Wire.  ​</div>
<div></div>
<div>The AAP co-sponsored an event in October 2024 focused on expanding the use of &#8220;family acceptance&#8221; interventions, which try to convince skeptical parents to affirm their child&#8217;s transgender identity. Hosted by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-biden-administrations-speed-dating-event-for-trans-activists-and-megadonors?author=Megan+Brock&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Biden+Admin+Hosted+%E2%80%98Speed+Dating%E2%80%99+Event+For+Trans+Activists+With+One+Rule">Biden administration</a>, the event brought together government officials, philanthropists, and transgender activists, with the common goal of furthering the impact of gender ideology in child welfare systems. ​</div>
<div></div>
<div>Biden officials viewed “family acceptance” of so-called gender identity as an <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221204062339/https://mchb.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/mchb/programs-impact/edc-parental-acceptance.pdf">important</a> step in “preventing” LGBTQI+ children from entering foster care.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Representatives of the AAP were invited to take part in a special breakout session with government officials and child welfare leaders to discuss &#8220;big ideas&#8221; for the &#8220;cross-sector&#8221; promotion of family acceptance programs that re-educate parents to embrace gender ideology, records show.</div>
<div></div>
<div>“We know that family support around LGBTQI+ identity, as early as possible, is a key protective factor against … entry into the child welfare and juvenile justice systems for LGBTQI+ youth,” Julie Kruse, a contracted senior advisor for the LGBTQI+ Initiatives, wrote in an <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-.pdf">email</a> describing the event. “These programs are critical to preventing LGBTQI+ youth homelessness and entry into foster care.”​</div>
<div></div>
<div>The Daily Wire inquired about the AAP&#8217;s role in this event and whether it believes pediatricians should encourage parents to be re-educated through &#8220;family acceptance&#8221; programs to prevent a child from being removed from their home. The AAP did not respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s requests for comment.</div>
<div></div>
<div>“The American Academy of Pediatrics claims to be a reliable guide for pediatricians and families, yet its misguided approach to children experiencing gender distress is harmful and unsupported by the evidence. Its embrace of &#8216;family acceptance&#8217; frameworks — and its promotion of the Family Acceptance Project as a community resource — only heightens these concerns,&#8221; Miceli told The Daily Wire.</div>

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Is Denying ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Child Abuse? Your Kid’s Doctor Might Think So

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Is Denying ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Child Abuse? Your Kid’s Doctor Might Think So