American College of Pediatricians

{{homophobia}}
The '''American College of Pediatricians''' (abbreviated '''ACPeds''') is a [[wingnut]] collection of pediatricians who espouse a socially [[conservative]] and "[[family values]]" agenda in opposition to the pediatric mainstream that, in their view, has a [[liberal bias]]. The [[SPLC]] has described it as a "fringe anti-LGBTQ hate group" that pushes [[pseudoscience|junk science]].<ref>Ryan Lenz (March 1, 2012). [https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2012/american-college-pediatricians-defames-gays-and-lesbians-name-protecting-children "American College of Pediatricians Defames Gays and Lesbians in the Name of Protecting Children"]. ''Intelligence Report''. Southern Poverty Law Center.</ref><ref name="ExtremistFiles">[https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/american-college-pediatricians "American College of Pediatricians"]. ''Extremist Files''. Southern Poverty Law Center.</ref>

Based on a 2023 documents leak, ACPeds collaborated with {{wpr|Alliance Defending Freedom}} for about a decade, taking requests to "substantiate" anti-LGBT [[talking point]]s formulated [[Policy-based evidence making|ahead of time]].<ref>R.G. Cravens (June 5, 2023). [https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2023/06/05/documents-reveal-adf-requested-anti-trans-research-american-college-pediatricians "Documents Reveal ADF Requested Anti-Trans Research From American College of Pediatricians"]. ''Southern Poverty Law Center''.</ref> The group is also linked to the [[Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity]] (ATCSI, formerly NARTH), a notorious [[conversion therapy]] organization, with ACPeds' executive director Michelle Cretella even sitting on ATCSI's "Medical Division Committee".<ref>(May 16, 2022). [https://www.therapeuticchoice.com/medical-leaders-goals "Medical Leaders / Goals"]. ''Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity''. [https://archive.ph/lyHWr (Archived version)].</ref><ref name="ExtremistFiles"/><ref>Lee Leveille (June 1, 2022). [https://healthliberationnow.com/2022/06/01/a-new-era-key-actors-behind-anti-trans-conversion-therapy/ "A New Era: Key Actors Behind Anti-Trans Conversion Therapy"]. ''Health Liberation Now!''.</ref>

ACPeds adopted the strategy of picking a very official-sounding name so that conservative information outlets could cite them and still sound smart, and to provide confusion to unsuspecting people. For those looking for a more mainstream body of pediatricians, one can turn to the similarly-named {{wpl|American Academy of Pediatrics}} (AAP), which is the group the ACPeds split from.<ref name="PTTurban">Jack Turban (May 8, 2017). [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/political-minds/201705/the-american-college-pediatricians-is-anti-lgbt-group "The American College of Pediatricians Is an Anti-LGBT Group"]. ''Psychology Today''.</ref> It should also not be confused for the {{wpl|American College of Physicians}} (ACP), though it certainly hopes that people will mix them up.{{fact|joke}}

== History ==
The group was founded in 2002 by a group of pediatricians including former President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Joseph Zanga. Initially, they (a mere 60 of the AAP's 60,000 members at the time) split over the issue of [[gay adoption]] when the AAP endorsed it, and have gone on to take wingnut positions on every social issue involving children, including [[Moral panic|hysteria]] about "violent and sexual" media. Zanga described ACPeds as "[[Judeo-Christian]]" and "[[traditional values]]" oriented.<ref name="ExtremistFiles"/>

==Stances==
Their political positions include, but aren't limited to:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190305120440/http://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/alphabetical-listing-of-position-statements "Alphabetical Listing of Position Statements"]. ACPeds.</ref>

*Opposition to ''any'' form of "homosexual parenting", "whether by [[Gay adoption|adoption]], foster care, or by reproductive manipulation".<ref name="ExtremistFiles"/><ref>(November 16, 2012). [https://www.aclu.org/other/re-gill-about-american-college-pediatricians "In re: Gill - About the American College of Pediatricians"]. ACLU.</ref><ref name="PTTurban"/>
*Opposition to [[gay marriage]].<ref name="ExtremistFiles"/>
*"Letting parents choose" when it comes to the proven beneficial [[HPV vaccine]].
*Support for [[corporal punishment]].<ref>(November 7, 2018). [https://web.archive.org/web/20210804101657/https://acpeds.org/press/spanking-a-valid-option-for-parents "Spanking: A Valid Option for Parents"]. ''American College of Pediatricians''.</ref><ref>(December 3, 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20210804092907/https://acpeds.org/press/it-s-okay-for-parents-to-spank "It's Okay for Parents to Spank"]. ''American College of Pediatricians''.</ref>
*Opposition to [[abortion]] and [[euthanasia]], because of course.<ref>Ellena Erskine (November 30, 2021). [https://www.scotusblog.com/2021/11/we-read-all-the-amicus-briefs-in-dobbs-so-you-dont-have-to/ "We read all the amicus briefs in Dobbs so you don’t have to"]. ''SCOTUSblog''.</ref><ref name=weber/>
*Support for a national [[abortion pill]] ban.<ref name="MoJoPauly"/><ref>Rachael Robertson (April 20, 2023). [https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/features/104120 "Who Are the Doctors Suing FDA Over the Abortion Pill?"]. ''Medpage Today''.</ref>
*Opposition to the support of gay teens in schools.
*Opposition to anything involving [[transgender]] issues in children, including the use of puberty blockers, because transgender is [[denialism|obviously not real]].<ref name="ExtremistFiles"/><ref name="LaCapria"/><ref name="PTTurban"/>
*Support for [[abstinence-only sex education]].<ref>Samantha Allen (April 6, 2016). [https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-religious-rights-favorite-medical-association-is-a-hate-group "The Religious Right’s Favorite Medical Association Is a Hate Group"]. ''The Daily Beast''.</ref>
*Support for [[conversion therapy]].<ref name="ExtremistFiles"/><ref name="PTTurban"/>

Long story short, they try to provide an academic voice for those terrified that the "[[gay agenda]]" (or, more recently, "[[transgender ideology]]") is corrupting their children.<ref name="ExtremistFiles"/> Emphasis on "try", because academically supporting a viewpoint based entirely on [[Bigotry|irrational hatred]] is impossible, which should be obvious to anyone who graduated from a properly-functioning educational system.{{fact|joke}}

==Distortion of facts==
Other than promoting conversion therapy, ACPeds have twisted facts in a number of other ways. They have spread some unsupported claims about the HPV vaccine, such as a claim that it [[HPV vaccine#Infertility|causes infertility]] in young girls.<ref>[[David Gorski]] (February 29, 2016). [https://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2016/03/01/one-more-time-theres-no-evidence-gardasil-causes-premature-ovarian-failure "One more time: There's no evidence Gardasil causes premature ovarian failure"]. ''[[Respectful Insolence]]''. ScienceBlogs.</ref><ref name="LaCapria">Kim LaCapria (May 20, 2016). [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/americas-pediatricians-gender-kids/ "Did American Pediatricians Issue a Statement That Transgenderism Is 'Child Abuse'?"]. ''Snopes''.</ref><ref>Michael Simpson (September 27, 2020). [https://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/gardasil-harms-girls-says-american-college-pediatricians/ "Gardasil harms girls says American College of Pediatricians"]. ''Skeptical Raptor''.</ref>

They were involved in a major controversy for using a decidedly pro-gay pediatric study and twisting the content to support their anti-gay agenda. The study concluded that kids who come out as LGBT earlier are more likely to commit [[suicide]] due to the social stigma in school and the long-term impact that has on someone's life. The study also suggested the most people sort out their sexuality by age 25. ACPeds used the study to conclude that homosexual feelings should be discouraged for as long as possible, and that most homosexual feelings disappear by 25, two things the study in no way supported.<ref>Nick Pinto (May 26, 2010). [https://web.archive.org/web/20180812235446/http://www.citypages.com/news/university-of-minnesota-professors-research-hijacked-6725473 "University of Minnesota professor's research hijacked"]. ''City Pages''.</ref> The author of the study, Francis H. Collins, released a statement with the backing of the National Institute of Health repudiating the ACP's statements on the matter.<ref>Francis S. Collins (April 15, 2010). [http://web.archive.org/web/20110727115017/http://www.nih.gov/about/director/04152010_statement_ACP.htm "Statement from NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., in Response to the American College of Pediatricians"]. National Institutes of Health.</ref><ref name="PTTurban"/> Other pediatricians have also claimed their research has been misused by ACPeds.

The group has erroneously claimed a link between homosexuality and [[pedophilia]]; one of the group's leaders also compared transgender status to [[Gnosticism]].<ref name="ExtremistFiles"/> Unsurprisingly, ACPeds has also claimed that homosexuality is environmentally-caused. Likewise, they have circulated the [[Littman 2018 ROGD study]] as evidence for the same, but for transgender people.<ref name="ExtremistFiles"/>

In attempting to undermine the case for [[gender transition]] as effective care, they misrepresented the findings of [[Dhejne et al. 2011 sex reassignment study|Dhejne ''et al.'' (2011)]], a paper erroneously cited for this sort of thing so often that it has become cliché.<ref>Zachary Zane (December 12 2018). [https://www.out.com/news-opinion/2018/12/11/known-hate-group-supports-trumps-anti-trans-policy-fake-science "Known Hate Group Uses Fake Science to Support Trump's Anti-Trans Policy"]. ''Out''.</ref> Citing studies they haven't read really seems to be a habit; ACPeds also cited one paper that claimed transgender participants' "identity was much more influenced by their genetics than their rearing" as purported evidence that transgender identity has no biological basis.<ref>Zack Ford (August 19, 2016). [https://archive.thinkprogress.org/american-college-pediatricians-transgender-kids-falsehoods-384716df13c5/ "Fake Medical Organization Publishes Lie-Ridden Manifesto Attacking Transgender Kids"]. ''ThinkProgress''.</ref>

==2023 leaks==
ACPeds was one of the many anti-trans organizations affected by an email leak in March 2023, showing for instance one ACPeds member's correspondence with South Dakota state Rep. Fred Deutsch.<ref name="MoJoPauly"> Madison Pauly (March 8, 2023). [https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/03/anti-trans-transgender-health-care-ban-legislation-bill-minors-children-lgbtq/ "Inside the Secret Working Group That Helped Push Anti-Trans Laws Across the Country"]. ''Mother Jones''.</ref><ref>Mikael Thalen (March 9, 2023). [https://web.archive.org/web/20230309172226/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/leaked-emails-national-anti-trans-movement/ "Massive cache of leaked emails details coordination between anti-trans groups, politicians"]. ''The Daily Dot''.</ref>

In May 2023, the group suffered a more serious leak of over 10,000 confidential internal documents. This included a full roster of the group's members both former and current (along with some accompanying info on each such as how they heard of ACPeds); based on one such document, the group had slightly more than 700 current members in early 2022. According to ''Wired'', "past and current members are mostly male and, on average, over 50 years old." (Quelle surprise). Elsewhere: "One document outlining recruitment efforts states in bold, red letters: 'TARGET CHRISTIAN MDs.'" Other contents indicated that the SPLC's designation of ACPeds as a hate group had seriously impacted the group's ability to fundraise.<ref name="Wired2023Leaks">Dell Cameron and Dhruv Mehrotra (May 2, 2023). [https://www.wired.com/story/american-college-pediatricians-google-drive-leak/ An Anti-Trans Doctor Group Leaked 10,000 Confidential Files]. ''Wired''. [https://archive.ph/phywd (Archived)].</ref><ref>Mikael Thalen (May 3, 2023). [https://www.dailydot.com/debug/american-college-pediatricians-10k-file-leak/ "Anti-trans medical group leaves entire membership list exposed online"]. ''The Daily Dot''.</ref>

Around the same time as the May leak, their GuideStar/Candid (a nonprofit registry) profile appeared to have been defaced (or improved, depending on how you look at it), listing the organization as the "AMERICAN COLLEGE OF doodoo fartheads."<ref name="Wired2023Leaks"/> Perhaps to indicate that the organization is suspicious,<ref>[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sus-among-us Sus] ''Know Your Meme''.</ref> a crewmate from the [[video game]] ''Among Us'' was also added to the page, and their mission statement was changed to "we are evil and hate gays :(((".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230502235634/https://www.guidestar.org/profile/47-0886878 "AMERICAN COLLEGE OF doodoo fartheads"]. Candid (Guidestar).</ref>

The internal documents revealed that the organization attempted to overcome its two-decade long struggle to gain significant number of members by leveraging the conservative media megaphone to make them look legitimate and gain influence in [[lobbying]] for state laws that support their positions.<ref name=weber>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/06/15/abortion-transgender-christian-doctors Documents show how conservative doctors influenced abortion, trans rights] by Lauren Weber (June 15, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> The documents also showed that their positions were driven by [[religion]] and [[morality]], rather than the 'settled science' as they claim in public.<ref name=weber/>

==See also==
*[[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]]
*[[:Essay:A review of statements made by the American College of Pediatricians]]
*[[Christian Institute]]
*[[Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine]]

==External links==
*[http://www.acpeds.org/ Official website]
*[https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/american-college-pediatricians SPLC profile]
*[https://glaad.org/gap/american-college-pediatricians/ GLAAD profile]
*[https://transdatalibrary.org/organization/american-college-of-pediatricians/ Trans Data Library profile]
*[https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/05/anti-trans-american-college-pediatrics-leak-michelle-cretella-abortion/ "A Massive Leak Spotlights the Extremism of an Anti-Trans Medical Group"], ''Mother Jones''.

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Anti-abortion activists]]
[[Category:Anti-vaccination movement]]
[[Category:Conservative deceit]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Hate groups]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Pray the gay away]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoting organizations]]
[[Category:Purity culture]]
[[Category:Sexuality]]
[[Category:Transphobia]]
[[Category:War on science]]

Categories: Anti-abortion activists, Anti-vaccination movement, Conservative deceit, Conspiracy theorists, Hate groups, Homophobia, Pray the gay away, Pseudoscience promoting organizations, Purity culture, Sexuality, Transphobia, War on science