On Friday, numerous conservative accounts and news sources promoted headlines that the "American College of Pediatricians" had issued a statement against transgender care. A video accompanied the announcement featuring Dr. Jill Simons, who, wearing a white lab coat, states that there must be an end to "social affirmation, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones" for transgender youth. Despite the official-looking attire and name, the organization's name serves to mislead observers into thinking they are the much larger American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents tens of thousands of pediatricians. In reality, the ACP is a hyper-conservative Christian group of doctors created in 2002 to oppose gay parenting.
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The American College of Pediatricians has been hugely influential in the promotion of anti-trans policy in the United States, relying in part to its misleading name. Members of the organization testify in state houses and courtrooms across the United States, misleading legislators into thinking they are the much larger American Academy of Pediatrics, the professional society that represents 67,000 pediatricians in the United States.
Christian fundamentalism
Six councillors voted in favour. It beginsâŠ
A Sydney council has voted to place a blanket ban on same-sex parenting books from local libraries in a move the New South Wales government warns could be a breach of the stateâs Anti-Discrimination Act.
At a meeting last week, Cumberland city council in western Sydney voted on a new strategy for its eight council-run libraries.
The amendment, put forward by the former mayor and current councillor Steve Christou, proposed that the council take âimmediate actionâ to âridâ same-sex parents books and materials in its library service.
During the meeting, Christou brandished a book he alleged had received âreally disturbingâ constituent complaints, saying parents were âdistraughtâ to see the book, Same-Sex Parents by Holly Duhig, displayed on a shelf in the childrenâs section of the library.
The book, originally published in the UK, explores the experience of having two mums or two dads and features two men and a young child on the front cover.
Six councillors voted in favour of the amendment and five voted against, while four councillors were not present to vote.
âWeâre going to make it clear tonight that ⊠these kind of books, same-sex parents books, donât find their way to our kids,â Christou said during debate. âOur kids shouldnât be sexualised.
âThis community is a very religious community, a very family-orientated community.
âThey donât want such controversial issues going against their beliefs indoctrinated to their libraries. This is not Marrickville or Newtown, this is Cumberland city council.â
Christou said toddlers shouldnât be âexposedâ to same-sex content and that the proposed amendment was âfor the protection and safety of our childrenâ.
âHands off our kids,â he repeated.
It's all true girls! If you see a cartoon illustration of one kiss you'll be on a slippery slope to living in your bedroom, with a bin full of exhausted AA batteries, and an excess bandwidth bill you'll have to sell a kidney for.
On November 14, a 20-year-old woman named Lanah Burkhardt appeared before the school board of the Conroe Independent School District in Texas. Burkhardt told the board that, when she was 11, she read a Scholastic book that introduced her to "a single kiss." According to Burkhardt, her exposure to this Scholastic book was directly responsible for her developing a debilitating addiction to pornography.
Burkhardt said that after reading the Scholastic book with the "single kiss," she "looked for other books that gave me pleasure." This "led to internet searches" that Burkhardt will "never forget." By the time she was 13, Burkhardt says her porn addiction left her depressed and suicidal.
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Burkhardt's appearance was promoted by SkyTree Book Fairs, a newly formed organization marketing itself as "an alternative to the sexually explicit content distributed in Scholastic's book fairs."
While SkyTree Book Fairs presents itself as an independent non-profit organization, it appears to be a hastily assembled offshoot of Brave Books, which publishes children's books by right-wing pundits and pseudo-celebrities.
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Neither Brave Books nor Burkhardt disclosed that Burkhardt is an employee of Brave Books. According to her LinkedIn profile, Burkhardt is the company's "public relations coordinator."
Burkhardt's employment was first reported by Frank Strong. It is unclear how an 11-year-old Burkhardt obtained the Scholastic book that allegedly caused her porn addiction. It appears she was home-schooled. Burkhardt did not respond to a request for comment sent via Facebook.