Copyright Lewiston Morning Tribune
Washington State University has suspended continuing education courses offered by an organization designated as an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group as it reviews whether the materials comply with accreditation standards. The move comes after staff and more than 30 LGBTQ+ organizations in eastern Washington and northern Idaho voiced concern that the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine had offered continuing education courses for physicians provided by the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine. Last month, the organization announced a “joint providership” with the WSU medical school that included materials titled “Transgender Identities and the Brain: What Do We Know?” and “History: How Problems in Adult Gender Medicine Launched Pediatric Transitions.” The announcement notes that the course material belongs “to the authors and do not represent Washington State University.” The courses remain viewable online. On Wednesday, 31 LGBTQ+ organizations wrote a letter to President Elizabeth Cantwell and other WSU administrators to call on the university to revoke the course’s accreditation, alleging they violate the non-discrimination policies of the state of Washington and WSU. The letter says it is “not enough” for WSU suspend the accreditation of the courses and called on the university to implement stronger review and oversight procedures and require gender-affirming care curriculum for medical education and training. “Accrediting SEGM’s programming represents a breach of that trust,” the letter states. “We urge WSU to act swiftly to correct this decision and to reaffirm its commitment to protecting the dignity, safety, and well-being of all 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Washington State.” Pam Scott, a WSU spokesperson, said the course materials were not provided or created by the university and were accredited based on standards set by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. “Accreditation indicates that the courses met ACCME’s requirements for scientific balance and educational integrity,” Scott wrote in an email Thursday. “This designation does not represent the university’s endorsement or co-sponsorship of the group providing the course.” Scott said the university is working to verify that the materials meet accreditation standards. WSU has suspended the courses as it determines whether they meet the ACCME’s standards. “We remain committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based Continuing Medical Education courses,” Scott wrote Thursday. According to the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, the materials were initially approved on June 2. The organization was notified on Oct. 29 that the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education was reviewing the course’s accreditation. “The series aims to support informed clinical decision-making that prioritizes patient safety and informed consent,” the organization wrote in a statement after it was notified of the review. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine is known for its opposition to gender-affirming care for youths and was designated a hate group in 2024. “Trans patients deserve better. And so do providers. For some licensed practitioners, continuing education is the only opportunity to learn about transgender healthcare,” KJ January, co-executive director of Spectrum Center, said in a statement Wednesday. “Accrediting a group that promotes anti-trans propaganda is a disservice to both the medical community and the patients they serve.” The Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine has disputed its designation as a hate group. In a lengthy response to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the group said it was “established to promote evidence-based, ethical care for children, adolescents, and young adults with gender dysphoria.” “We promote the principles of evidence-based medicine and the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice in healthcare,” the organization wrote in a response issued in September. “We reject the politicization of questioning how best to care for gender-dysphoric youth.” In 2022, researchers at the Yale School of Medicine described the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine as “an ideological organization without apparent ties to mainstream scientific or professional organization.” The organization has suggested that an increasing number of minors or young adults could be influenced by Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria, a theory that suggests they could be influenced by peer influence. The theory is disputed by the American Psychological Association, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the Coalition for the Advancement and Application of Psychological Science. “There are no sound empirical studies of ROGD and it has not been subjected to rigorous peer-review processes that are standard for clinical science,” the Coalition for the Advancement and Application of Psychological Science wrote in June 2021. “Further, there is no evidence that ROGD aligns with the lived experiences of transgender children and adolescents.” In a post on a WSU Senate discussion board, one faculty member said while they appreciated the university’s decision to suspend the courses, they were concerned with the vetting process and whether the courses met medical education and ethical standards. “As a faculty member committed to academic integrity, ethical scholarly practice, and equitable healthcare education, I believe it is important for us to take seriously the risks posed when university-affiliated educational activities align with medically unsupported approaches,” the post states. “I hope Senate leadership will consider whether additional transparency and oversight processes would be beneficial moving forward.”
