Inside the Exam Room
2025 Safeguarding Children From Gender-Affirming Treatment
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2m 46s
“What does this actually look like for clinicians right now?” moderator Travis Morrell asks. Dr. Michelle Stanford, a Denver-based pediatrician, describes what she sees daily: anxious, traumatized, and neurodiverse teens presenting with gender distress—and parents desperate for guidance. She explains how many primary care doctors feel unequipped and afraid to deviate from the gender-affirming script, so they refer patients to ideologically driven clinics. The result is a medical culture where fear silences doctors and vulnerable children are pushed into life-altering interventions.
Up Next in 2025 Safeguarding Children From Gender-Affirming Treatment
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Don’t Refer-Diagnose
“What kind of evaluation should happen before a child is referred to a gender clinic?” Travis Morrell asks. Dr. Miriam Grossman, child and adolescent psychiatrist, gives a clear answer: “Don’t refer.” She explains that gender distress is a symptom, like a fever, not a diagnosis, and must be explo...
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The Hidden Harm of Social Transition
Travis Morrell asks, “Is social transition—just names and pronouns—really harmless?” Dr. Miriam Grossman gives a definitive answer: no. She explains that social transition is a powerful psychological intervention that shapes a child’s identity, rewires the brain, and increases the likelihood of p...
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Practical Steps for Parents in Crisis
Moderator Travis Morrell asks a critical question: “Are there practical things parents can do to support a child in distress—without affirming a false identity?” Dr. Miriam Grossman outlines guidance from her book "Lost in Transnation", including how to respond when a child suddenly claims a new ...
