Trans report author given security advice after backlash for warning young people ‘at risk’
The author of a landmark gender report has received security advice in a bid to keep her safe after being sent “vile” abusive emails.
Dr Hilary Cass also slammed the spread of “disinformation” around her report and warned that young people are being put “at risk” by the growth of false information.
The 388-page Cass report, which investigated the treatment of transgender children, received backlash from figures including the Labour MP Dawn Butler.
Butler repeated claims that Cass had not included 100 transgender studies in it.
However, she said the allegations were “completely wrong” and it was “unforgivable” for people to undermine her report by spreading “straight disinformation”.
She has been advised not to travel on public transport amid safety fears.
“I have been really frustrated by the criticisms, because it is straight disinformation. It is completely inaccurate,” she told The Times.
“It started the day before the report came out when an influencer put up a picture of a list of papers that were apparently rejected for not being randomised control trials.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Mother forced to pull daughter out of school after being ‘radicalised’ by ‘cult-like’ materialsGender equality plans could allow self ID-ing trans women to be part of female quotasNeuropsychologist was prevented from raising alarm about puberty blockers
“That list has absolutely nothing to do with either our report or any of the papers.
“If you deliberately try to undermine a report that has looked at the evidence of children’s healthcare, then that’s unforgivable. You are putting children at risk by doing that.”
Following the release of her final report – which featured trans patients, families, academics and doctors – Cass said she was met with “pretty aggressive” response some, particularly those in activist groups.
She said: “There are some pretty vile emails coming in at the moment. Most of which my team is protecting me from, so I’m not getting to see them.”
She added: “What dismays me is just how childish the debate can become. If I don’t agree with somebody then I’m called transphobic or a Terf [trans-exclusionary radical feminist].”
It comes after NHS adult gender clinics agreed to share missing data on the outcomes of 9,000 patients who were treated as children at the Tavistock clinic.
Six clinics refused to co-operate with research into the long-term impact of prescribing puberty blockers and sex hormones.