Bill Maher calls out gender-affirming care in US as 'woke excess', claims there's 'no good evidence'

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: During a recent episode of 'Real Time with Bill Maher', HBO host Bill Maher criticized the US medical establishment, claiming they are "afraid" to acknowledge the extent to which they've permitted minors to undergo gender-altering treatments.

Maher pointed out that American doctors' endorsement of gender-affirming care has lagged behind that of the UK and Scandinavian countries, which have re-evaluated and in many cases prohibited such treatments.

Bill Maher says there's 'no good evidence' for child gender transition

Highlighting the above points, Maher remarked, "This is so, to me, symbolic of so much of woke excess, by thinking you’re so progressive you’re actually behind," criticizing the US for lacking sophistication compared to other nations on this issue.

He also mentioned a recent significant medical study from the UK, led by Dr Hillary Cass, a prominent British pediatrician.

The study, which conducted an independent review of gender-affirming care services for children and teens in 2020, published its findings in March.

The results revealed "no good evidence" supporting the medical push for gender transition in children, highlighting that this effort was based on unstable foundations for children seeking treatment for gender dysphoria.

Simultaneously, it directed the closure of the London-based gender identity clinic at the Tavistock and Portman Trust due to safety concerns.

Maher questions gender care for children

Maher also noted the Cass Review findings were referenced in a draft document from the UK's Department of Education.

This document is poised to enforce that discussions on gender identity will not be part of the education curriculum for UK students until they enter secondary school, as Fox News reported. 

Moreover, Scandinavian nations like Sweden, Finland, and Denmark have significantly limited gender-related medical procedures for children.

Referring to the Cass study, Maher quoted, "'The reality is that we have no good evidence on the long-term outcomes or interventions to manage gender-related distress in kids.' These are kids seeking to change their sex. 'For most young people, a medical approach may not be the optimal route. There is no definitive evidence that social transitioning during childhood has either positive or negative impacts on mental health.'"

Adding to his commentary, he continued, "So, in other words, by trying to be so far ahead, the United States — and this is not just England, this is all the Scandinavian countries, they’ve all pulled back on this – to me, this says a lot about where we went and hopefully, we’re getting back to some place sane."

"Because, yes, I don’t think we should be doing medical interventions on kids before they can figure out who they are," he added, to the audience's applause.

Guest panelist Pamela Paul, a New York Times columnist, expressed her optimism that the US would reach similar conclusions as the European studies, but remarked that "the medical establishment, the major medical associations, are staying mum or digging in."

"Right. They’re afraid," Maher replied. 

Social media divided over Bill Maher's claims

Viewers expressed a range of reactions in response to Maher's comment, criticizing the US medical establishment. 

On the one hand, some viewers expressed, "They’re not afraid, they’re drunk on the profits."

Another viewer shared, "Because they are in it purely for the almighty dollar."

Someone else pointed out, "It's a complicated issue, and I think it's important to listen to all sides."

A follower observed, "What are Mr. Maher’s qualifications to publicly discuss this topic?"

Another comment read, "Woke alert! Drink!"

"That word is so played out now. Anything that seriously challenges the status quo of society is basically "woke". Anti-slavery was woke. Women's suffrage was woke. The civil rights movement was woke. De-segregation was woke. Allowing interracial marriage was woke. Allowing gay marriage was woke. Parrots just found a new dumb as fk buzzword to squawk for anything they don't like just like past decades," explained an individual.

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