Boston children’s hospital staff under threat for promotion of trans youth surgery resources

Doctors and other members of staff at Boston Children’s Hospital have reported receiving several threats over its surgical program for transgender youths, administrators have confirmed. Other U.S. children’s hospitals have also reported online harassment.

Boston Children’s Hospital, which refers to itself as “home to the first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program in the United States,” confirmed it has faced a “large volume” of violent threats due to the nature of care it provides. The hospital confirmed that threats have came in the form of email, by phone call and on social media.

“Libs of Social Media” Tweeted about the hospital: “Boston Children’s Hospital (@BostonChildrens) is now offering ‘gender affirming hysterectomies’ for young girls.”

The hospital said that they are committed to providing comprehensive care for children who identify as transgender or nonbinary, however they added that any surgical procedure will be carried out on consenting adults. “Age 18 is used to reflect the standard age of majority for medical decision-making. Boston Children’s does not perform genital surgeries as part of gender-affirming care on a patient under the age of 18,” the statement says.

“We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms, and we reject the false narrative upon which they are based. We are working with law enforcement to protect our clinicians, staff, patients, families, and the broader Boston Children’s community and hold the offenders accountable,” the hospital says. “We will continue to take all appropriate measures to protect our people.”

The US Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts released a statement on Wednesday responding to the threats, which they said were “disturbing to say the least.”

“Children deserve an opportunity to thrive and grow as their own authentic selves. Parents/guardians and health care providers who support them in that journey should be allowed to do so free of threats and harassment. I want to make it clear that the Department of Justice will ensure equal protection of transgender people under the law,” Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement on the office’s website.

Rollins confirmed that her 1-83-END-H8-NOW hotline has received “dozens of calls” and all calls will be taken seriously and investigated.

“While free speech is indeed the cornerstone of our great nation, fear, intimidation and threats are not. I will not sit idly by and allow hate-based criminal activity to continue in our District,” Rollins went onto say.