Jamie Reed doesn’t fit the stereotype of an expert witness speaking on behalf of Republican legislation dealing with sex and gender. A self-described “queer woman politically to the left of Bernie Sanders,” Reed has been active in the LGBT community and is executive director of the “LGBT Courage Coalition.”
But when Reed testifies before the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee on Monday, it will be based on her work as a case manager at The Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Watching children – some as young as three — being “treated” for gender dysphoria or receiving “gender-affirming care” left her so shaken that she is now an outspoken opponent of sex change procedures for children.
“I saw a number of increasing harms, saw a lot of real questions about the scientific methodology and what we were doing,” Reed told NHJournal in a podcast interview. “Puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries. I have traveled all over the nation (talking) about what is the actual best evidence-based medicine for kids who are telling us that they’re distressed about their bodies. And there are a lot of kids right now saying this.”
Reed’s efforts in Missouri led to that state banning those medications and procedures for children. New Hampshire has banned genital gender reassignment surgery, sometimes referred to as “bottom” surgery, for minor children.
State Rep. Lisa Mazur (R-Goffstown) has proposed bills to ban puberty blockers and “top” surgery (mastectomies, etc.) for kids. Reed will be testifying on behalf of those bills on Monday.
Also testifying will be Prisha Mosley, a detransitioning woman formerly known as Charlie Mosley and who underwent a medicalized gender transition to a man during her late teens.
“Let’s begin with an undeniable truth: children cannot fully comprehend the lifelong implications of altering their bodies with powerful medications and surgeries they can never come back from,” Mazur told NHJournal. “Yet we are witnessing a concerning trend where children, some as young as 3 years old, are being prescribed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones—often after just a few hours of consultation.
“We don’t let minors get tattoos, go to tanning salons, buy cigarettes, or consume alcohol because we know they lack the maturity to make those decisions and that they may cause damage later on. Why, then, would we let them make irreversible medical choices that will affect their health and happiness for the rest of their lives?”
Granite State Democrats continue to support allowing the treatments for children. Neither of Mazur’s bills have a Democratic co-sponsor, and only 22 Democrats voted for the ban on genital gender reassignment surgery, while 167 voted to allow the procedure on children.
In a recent hearing on a bill protecting girls bathrooms and locker rooms from biological males, state Rep. Eric Turer (D-Brentwood) claimed there are “four possible ways” to define someone’s biological sex, “which could be different at different points in people’s lives.”
Asked about Turer’s claim, Reed wasn’t impressed by his theory.
“It’s absolutely crazy. I hold a master’s of science in clinical research. Medical providers absolutely know the difference between girls and boys, men and women. And there are also really easy ways in sports to do this. There can be a simple oral swab, it goes in the cheek if we really need to determine sex.”
And when asked the question, “What is a woman?” — a question that has stumped a U.S. Supreme Court nominee, among others — Reed had a ready answer.
“This comes down to do you have eggs or do you have sperm? Yes, there is a small, tiny subgroup of people who have differences of sex development, but that’s not who we’re talking about. We all know a boy from a girl.”
Reed also pointed out the growing number of studies coming from Europe raising serious questions about the consequences of sex change medical procedures on minor children. In December, Great Britain extended indefinitely its ban on puberty blockers for children
“Evidence reviews by NICE and NHS England clearly showed there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones for the treatment of gender dysphoria or incongruence, which is why the NHS decided that they would no longer be routinely offered to children and young people,” the British government declared.
“There is a growing body of evidence that shows the risks of puberty blockers, hormones and extreme medical procedures for minors far outweigh the benefits,” Mazur said.
“This is not a partisan issue—it’s about safeguarding children’s health and ensuring they have the maturity to make informed choices when they’re adults.”
