Daily Wire host Matt Walsh excoriated a district judge on Friday for a decision blocking a ban on injecting minors with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to treat gender dysphoria.
“This week, federal Judge Eli Richardson declined to halt Tennessee’s ban on child mutilation surgeries. But he issued an injunction against the state’s ban on chemically castrating & sterilizing minors. The opinion is astonishingly bad & the state AG has already appealed,” Walsh said in the first tweet of a lengthy thread posted to Twitter.
1/ This week, federal Judge Eli Richardson declined to halt Tennessee’s ban on child mutilation surgeries. But he issued an injunction against the state’s ban on chemically castrating & sterilizing minors. The opinion is astonishingly bad & the state AG has already appealed.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 30, 2023
Tennessee enacted legislation banning sex-change treatments and surgeries on minors after an undercover investigation by Walsh and his team found that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was providing so-called “puberty blocking” drugs, cross-sex hormones, and mastectomies to underage teens.
In his opinion blocking the Tennessee state law, Richardson cited two other court cases that have “nothing to do with transgenderism,” Walsh said. Richardson also took into account data provided by two pro-transgender organizations, disregarding objections that the data was “low quality.”
“[T]he Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system permits conclusions to be drawn based on what is considered ‘low-quality evidence,’” Richardson wrote.
4/ How does the judge make the leap and determine that it's "medical care" to castrate & sterilize a child? He disregards the state’s experts and cites "evidence" that he admits is "low quality" from two main sources: the trans activist group WPATH and the Endocrine Society. pic.twitter.com/Wgko0kl4bm
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 30, 2023
Richardson dismissed professional testimony from clinical psychologist Dr. James Cantor pointing out flaws in the data, which came from WPATH and the Endocrine Society. The judge said that Cantor’s testimony was meaningless unless he possessed experience “administer[ing] the medical procedures banned by SB1.”
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“In other words, the judge only values the opinions of doctors who are already making money by castrating children,” Walsh wrote.
8/ In other words, the judge only values the opinions of doctors who are already making money by castrating children. That could be why he completely ignores sworn declarations from doctors like Sven Roman, who explained to him why minors should not receive cross-sex hormones. pic.twitter.com/AFZA4RNzug
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 30, 2023
The judge also disregarded concerns from the state that administering cross-sex hormones to minors could “lead to a lifetime dependence on certain medications” because “[d]efendants do not explain why such dependence should itself be considered a negative side effect.”
Richardson accepted expert testimony from physicians who supported transgender treatments for minors, however. He cited Duke Health’s Dr. Deanna Adkins “extensively” throughout the opinion, despite Adkins’ own lack of citations for her work, according to Walsh.
10/ Judge Richardson doesn’t ignore every declaration in the case, however. He extensively cites this declaration from Duke “trans” specialist Dr. Deanna Adkins, who offers this rundown of gender theory without providing citations. pic.twitter.com/vLVqUnbVEG
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 30, 2023
“Judge Richardson said Dr. Adkins’ declaration is credible. Meanwhile, he disregards evidence that cross-sex hormones sterilize children, because ‘not all individuals will experience this negative side effect,’” Walsh wrote.
Walsh blasted the judge for giving little treatment to the risks associated with cross-sex hormone treatments and, when writing of the procedures and their effects, using euphemisms that disguise the real impact.
“Even one of the doctors that Judge Richardson’s opinion relies on – Dr. Adkins – admits in her declaration that patients must be informed of ‘irreversible’ risks of cross-sex hormones, including sterilization,” Walsh writes.
14/ Even one of the doctors that Judge Richardson’s opinion relies on – Dr. Adkins – admits in her declaration that patients must be informed of "irreversible" risks of cross-sex hormones, including sterilization. pic.twitter.com/cuhmoLIlTq
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 30, 2023
Richardson also cited the lack of evidence as to whether such sex-change treatments are “safe” as an argument supporting their further use.
“The practical effects of the judge’s decision are clear. Vanderbilt’s deputy CEO told Judge Richardson that the moment he issues an injunction, sterilizing hormone therapies will resume – including on minor children,” Walsh writes.
16/ The practical effects of the judge’s decision are clear. Vanderbilt’s deputy CEO told Judge Richardson that the moment he issues an injunction, sterilizing hormone therapies will resume – including on minor children. pic.twitter.com/OyFqlAzbWt
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 30, 2023
Walsh went on to spotlight two of Richardson’s former clerks, one who has posted her pronouns in her bio and works for a lesbian activist group and another who wrote in support of nuisance environmental lawsuits against the meat industry.
“Is Judge Richardson surrounding himself with left-wing activists? Why did he decide to override the will of the overwhelming majority of Tennesseans in order to allow child castration? Maybe those two questions are related. The good news is the appeal is already underway,” Walsh concluded.
20/ Is Judge Richardson surrounding himself with left-wing activists? Why did he decide to override the will of the overwhelming majority of Tennesseans in order to allow child castration? Maybe those two questions are related. The good news is the appeal is already underway.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 30, 2023
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly labeled Judge Eli Richardson a Tennessee state judge.