1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to express serious concern about political interference in medical professional organizations, specifically the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' recent position statement on gender-related surgeries. This represents a dangerous precedent of government officials pressuring medical societies to bypass their own expert processes for political purposes. The ASPS statement recommending delaying gender-related surgeries until age 19 was released the same day the Department of Health and Human Services issued a press release praising ASPS for "bravely standing with Secretary Kennedy." This coordination is troubling. Members of the ASPS Gender Surgery Task Force, the actual experts who had been discussing best practices for adolescent care, were kept completely in the dark about the statement's development. Task Force member Dr. Scott Leibowitz noted that the recommended age of 19 matches exactly the age listed in a January 2025 Executive Order from the Trump Administration. Task Force members reported being told that ASPS officials met directly with government officials, circumventing the Task Force entirely. They were given conflicting explanations about whether this was years in the making or resulted from "an urgent, time-limited process initiated by a federal agency" over recent weeks. Dr. Blair Peters, a board-certified plastic surgeon at Oregon Health and Science University, stated that "the broader membership was not involved in this statement in any way" and doesn't believe it represents the views of most plastic surgeons. Around 200 medical professionals submitted a letter demanding transparency and accountability. This stands in stark contrast to the American Psychological Association's approach, which updated its gender-affirming care policy in 2024 through a vote of over 160 representatives, not through bureaucratic decisions behind closed doors. Medical standards must be determined by medical experts through transparent, accountable processes based on scientific evidence, not by political appointees pressuring professional organizations. I urge you to investigate this abuse of power and support legislation that protects medical professional organizations from political interference in their standard-setting processes.