Mob seeks to disrupt conference for opponents of ‘gender-affirming care’

Activists have failed in an attempt to ambush a conference on evidence-based care for gender-confused children and young people.

The event organised by the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender went ahead on 23 March after the Metropolitan Police prevented protestors from gaining access to the venue.

NHS England recently announced that there is “not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness” of giving puberty-suppressing drugs to gender-confused children.

Police protection

Physiotherapist Elaine Miller, who attended “First Do No Harm: Critical perspectives on sex and gender in healthcare”, praised the police for managing the “very aggressive, masked” crowd.

Healthcare should be driven by evidence not ideology.

And Jayne Simmons, health writer and vice-chair of the Medical Journalists’ Association, commented on X: “It’s the first time I have ever attended a medical conference requiring police protection. Healthcare should be driven by evidence not ideology.”

The Metropolitan Police said: “At 9.45 a group attempted to gain access to an event in Euston Square – they were prevented from doing so by police.

“The event has proceeded without disruption. A smoke flare was set off in the crowd in Euston Square. No reported injuries or damage.”

Ideology

Headline speaker Professor Riittakerttu Kaltiala shared lessons from the Finnish youth service, where research has debunked claims that preventing gender-confused young people from taking puberty blockers pushes them to commit suicide.

Last year, she warned that an ideologically-driven agenda is harming gender-confused children in the US.

In an article published by the American online news outlet The Free Press, Professor Kaltiala hit out against the “widespread transitioning of gender-distressed minors” in the United States.

Four years ago, Finland’s national public health service recognised the “experimental” nature of the ‘gender-affirming model’ and recommended sex swaps be postponed “until adulthood”.

Sex-swaps

Also speaking at the event was Tavistock whistleblower Sonia Appleby. In 2021, England’s gender identity clinic for children was ordered to pay £20,000 to the former staff member after she was unfairly treated for raising concerns about patient welfare.

As lead safeguarding officer, Appleby had highlighted staff reports that “some young children are being actively encouraged to be transgender without effective scrutiny of their circumstances”.

Last month, NHS England confirmed that puberty-blocking drugs will no longer be ‘routinely commissioned’ for gender-confused children.

However, just weeks later it announced that it will continue to allow teenagers to obtain cross-sex hormones from “around their 16th birthday” if they understand the impact on their fertility.