Washington, DC – A recent report by The Washington Post revealed that the US top health agency, Center for Disease Control has been banned from using seven specific terms in documents being prepared for for next years budget, including the word “transgender”. The ban has been imposed by White House Officials in a recent staff meeting.
The ban also includes the medical term “fetus” as well as “entitlement,” “vulnerable,” “diversity,” as well as “science-based” and “evidence-based”. While they have been given alternative wordings in some cases, the majority of these words cannot be used at all and will prevent the CBC from seeking budget approval for these areas. In recent years the CDC has used most of these words in their budget estimates.
CDC and Department of Health and Human Services – which oversees the CDC declined the existence of banned words among further reports by the Washington Post that other agencies under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services had received similar lists of banned words. Further news reports claim other departments have also been affected by banned word lists .
In statements to several news organizations, Health and Human Services spokesman Matt Loyd disputed the report and claims the discussion has been mischaracterized. CDC Director Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald took to Twitter to deny any ban.
CDC Director Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald declines accusations of banned words at the CDC.
Shocked Responses
The report was followed with a swift reaction across the board, expressing shock and disbelieve at such action. In a Huffington Post interview WPATH board member and director of the Center for Gender Confirmation surgery at Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Dr. Loren Schechter said “I’m not sure what the ultimate rationale is for doing this aside from trying to erase certain types of people off the map,” while referring to the ban on the words “transgender” and “diversity”. Dr. Schechter continues to express his concerns about the loss of hard earned civil rights, ignoring facts and thought policy.
Other scientists and organisations also responded immediately. National Center for Transgender Equality Executive Director Mara Keisling offered the following written statement:
“If this news report is accurate—and of course it is— this would be an unprecedented attack on transgender people, science, and public health itself. To pretend and insist that transgender people do not exist, and to allow this lie to infect public health research and prevention is irrational and very dangerous, and not just to transgender people. That they have banned the phrases “evidence-based” and “science-based” tells us all we need to know: The Trump Administration is full of dangerous science deniers who have no business near American public health systems like the CDC. They are actually going to kill Americans if they do not stop.”
Planned Parenthood’s Dana Singer, Vice President of Public Policy, called the action “reckless” and “unimaginably dangerous”
8 Comments
Yes, I had already heard the news about the Center for Disease Control related policy (on NPR), and this is totally weird (and abhorrent). Of course the present admin. in Washington–come to think of it–is totally weird and abhorrent!!
This is, BTW, very similar to science ignorant folks who consider an early stage embryo or fetus a baby…and all pregnancy termination as murder. God save us from these bozos!!
This is, BTW, very similar to science ignorant folks who consider an early stage embryo or fetus a baby…and all pregnancy termination as murder. And the inclusion on this list of the word “fetus” is simply stupid. About the same as some eunuch group pushing for removal of the words penis and vagina from the dictionary. God save us from these cretins!!
Where it get’s interesting is that the CDC is actively conducting research on the Zika virus, a virus which affects the development of a baby causing fetal brain abnormality and microcephaly. Scientists at the CDC will have ball rewriting their research papers to exclude words the administration finds offensive for reasons which are certainly not evidence-based, nor science-based. lol
Would someone please advise how one may delete a previous message?
Hi There – you asked about deleting a previous message. I see you submitted four comments messages in reply to the CDC comments. Let me know which one to delete 🙂
It doesn’t matter. Trump has no control over the government. He’s got 0 campaign promises under his belt and is too busy tweeting to fill empty positions. Agencies simply ignore his mandates. You’ll notice that the EPA and NOAA don’t give a damn about his “global warming is fake” and pro coal positions. The CDC will be no different.
Even for people who somehow disagree that transgender people are a real and valid people group, I wish I could explain to those people that this isn’t even the way to deal with the issue. Banning words? Ridiculous! This is basically sweeping issues under the rug because you don’t like to hear it, banning a word isn’t going to make transgender people or the idea of them go away, if you don’t like it you can’t just stop talking about it, These people need to get over it.