FAIR News: Standing Up for Honest Disagreement in Medicine
FAIR News: Standing Up for Honest Disagreement in Medicine
Newsletter
Dear friends of FAIR,
On October 6th, FAIR in Medicine Director Dr. Carrie Mendoza sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding the recent escalating tensions and reported threats at multiple children’s hospitals and clinics related to policies on “gender affirming care” and surgery for children.
The letter was sent in response to a letter from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Medical Association (AMA), and Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), which asked Garland to “investigate the organizations, individuals, and entities coordinating, provoking, and carrying out bomb threats and threats of personal violence.” The letter from AAP, AMA and CHA also urged the Attorney General to “take swift action to investigate and prosecute all organizations, individuals, and entities responsible” for “an intentional campaign of disinformation.” Given the letter’s vague language, some have understood this as referring to any dissent or disagreement over the need for medical intervention or surgery to address cases of gender dysphoria or gender non-conformity in children.
FAIR’s position is that it is important to encourage an open and honest dialogue on these and other topics in medicine, in order to ensure the best decisions are made for each individual patient. As Dr. Mendoza’s letter notes:
Any violence or threats of violence should be fully investigated and addressed under the law. But investigating, prosecuting, or silencing those who question or disagree with the still very new and rapidly evolving field of gender affirming care will not only risk violating the First Amendment rights of all Americans, but will prevent the medical profession from determining and providing the safest and most effective treatments for gender dysphoric patients. Rigorous and open debate about the risks and benefits of any treatment—including gender affirming care—must not be suppressed, and to conflate this necessary debate with promoting violence against healthcare workers is deeply irresponsible.
As outlined on our website, FAIR’s pro-human approach is to treat each person as a unique and intrinsically valuable individual, united by our shared humanity. We are advocates of discussing topics such as gender dysphoria with compassion and respect for all. Threats or acts of violence to push a specific viewpoint must always be off the table—and honest, reasoned, and good faith discussion and constructive disagreement must always be on it.
FAIR is committed to providing and modeling a better, more effective approach on this and other issues. As FAIR Advisor and Senior Fellow Daryl Davis often says, “a missed opportunity for dialogue is a missed opportunity for conflict resolution.” It is essential that our institutions and leaders allow room for people with opposing views to express their perspectives, and to speak out in favor of—or against—ideas or behaviors they disagree with. This is true tolerance, and the only way that we can all move forward, together.
Yours,
Bion
__
Bion Bartning
bion@fairforall.org
Want to help advance civil rights and liberties for all, and promote a common culture based on fairness, understanding, and humanity? Sign up for a free subscription today!
FREE Webinar: Understanding Gender Dysphoria and Its Impact on Clinical Care
Join FAIR in Medicine TONIGHT, October 13th at 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. ET for our FREE webinar, Understanding Gender Dysphoria and Its Impact on Clinical Care, hosted by FAIR Advisor and Senior Fellow Zander Keig.
The featured panelists are Dr. Lisa Littman, a physician-scientist researching gender dysphoria and detransition; Teva Johnstone, psychotherapist and children's mental health consultant; and Stella O'Malley, psychotherapist and executive director of Genspect, an advocacy group which provides resources and education on the best practices for gender dysphoria.
Tickets are free and registration is now open!
Pro-Human Tour Stop: Twin Cities
Please join FAIR’s Twin Cities chapter on Saturday, October 15th at 9:00 a.m. CT for the next stop on the Pro-Human Tour, featuring author, educator, and FAIR Advisor Wilfred Reilly, and FAIR in Medicine Director Dr. Carrie Mendoza.
Professor Reilly will discuss his book, Taboo: The 10 Facts You Can’t Talk About, and Dr. Mendoza will share her views on current trends in medicine, including the recent heightened focus on race and gender in healthcare.
This event will also be an opportunity to connect with the FAIR Twin Cities chapter for the latest updates and information, and how you can join the pro-human movement!
Registration is free and open to all!
Pro-Human Tour Stop: Evanston, Illinois
Join FAIR’s Founder and President Bion Bartning along with FAIR Advisors Daryl Davis, Monica Harris, and Jason Hill for an evening of music and conversation about FAIR’s pro-human approach to addressing social issues and uniting our communities.
The event will also feature music by Daryl Davis, FAIR in Medicine Fellow Robert Graboyes, and Nashville musician and Chicago native Madeline Kelsen.
This event will take place on October 18th from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. CT. Registration is now open.
Please email us at gavin.coon@fairforall.org if you have any questions.
FAIR in the Arts Community Meetup
FAIR in the Arts' next Community Meetup will be on Wednesday, October 19th at 12:00 - 1:30 pm ET. The meetup will be moderated by FAIR in the Arts Fellow Heather Blakeslee, and featuring guests and FAIR in the Arts Fellows Rosie Kay (Choreographer, Founder of K2CO) and Winston Marshall (Musician, Podcaster).
Hear updates on FAIR in the Arts' ongoing initiatives, participate in discussion groups with the team and Fellows, and meet others who share pro-human values and who want to make a difference in their own communities.
Arts practitioners, advocates, and media professionals—anyone who wants to create a culture where artists and others are free to express themselves—are welcome.
Zoom Conversation with FAIR Legal
Want to know more about FAIR's legal advocacy work and speak directly with the lawyers who are making it happen?
Join us at 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 20th for a lively, interactive conversation with FAIR Advisor Samantha Harris and her law partner Michael Allen of Allen Harris Law, as well as FAIR legal network attorney Dan Cragg from Eckland & Blando in Minneapolis, and Letitia Kim, Leigh Ann O'Neill, and Reid Newton from FAIR's in-house legal team.
Registration is FREE and open to all.
FAIR Book Club: Ian Rowe’s Agency
FAIR’s Book Club meets monthly with a goal to read books that challenge and deepen our understanding of humanity and fairness, while enriching our sense of what it means to be pro-human.
The FAIR in Education Fellows invite you to our next book club meeting on October 26th. In October and November, we will be reading and discussing FAIR Advisor Ian Rowe’s new book, Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for All Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power.
We hope you will join us as we dig into the sage wisdom and advice offered in this phenomenal book.
Eugenics: The Curse That Keeps on Cursing Webinar with FAIR in Medicine
Join FAIR in Medicine on October 27th at 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. ET for our webinar, Eugenics: The Curse That Keeps on Cursing, to hear how the timeless desire to “improve” the human race is still with us. The often-sordid history of eugenics in the United States was explored in the 2016 PBS documentary The Eugenics Crusade: What’s Wrong with Perfect?
After registering for the webinar, you will receive a link to access this documentary. You can find this link in your ticket confirmation email. We encourage attendees to watch it in anticipation of the webinar.
FAIR in Medicine Fellow Mark Buchanan, MD will moderate the webinar. Panelists include William B. Hurlbut, MD, Adjunct Professor and Senior Research Scholar in Neurobiology at the Stanford Medical School, who writes and consults widely on bioethics; Robert Graboyes, PhD FAIR in Medicine Fellow, health economist, prolific journalist, and musician, a veteran of the faculties of several universities and of the Federal Reserve Bank.
November FAIR Parent Education Series Workshops
Please join FAIR in Education on November 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd for a four-part workshop where we will share an overview of the current K-12 educational landscape, summarize key issues interfering with students’ civil rights, and train parents and guardians in effective, pro-human advocacy—including supporting children and teens in developing healthy attitudes around race and identity.
The workshop will take place from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. ET on each Tuesday evening. Registration is capped at 30 participants, so sign up now to secure your spot!
If you are interested but unable to attend these dates, we will be offering additional FAIR Parent Education Series in the future, so stay tuned!
Unchallengeable Orthodoxy in the Arts Panel Discussion at ASU School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership
On Wednesday, November 9th at 5 p.m. MT, join FAIR Founder and President Bion Bartning and FAIR in the Arts Fellows Clifton Duncan, Lincoln Jones, and Winston Marshall along with filmmaker Meg Smaker for a panel discussion titled Unchallengeable Orthodoxy in the Arts.
Hear from artists who found the courage to speak up in the face of overwhelming social pressure, were targeted for doing so, and weathered the storm. Learn how to navigate these new challenges and why it is important to support excellence and creative freedom in the arts.
This event will be live and in-person at the Arizona State University campus, and will also be recorded and posted on the SCETL YouTube channel after the event date and time.
FAIR in Medicine Open House with Bob Ostertag
Join FAIR in Medicine on Thursday, November 10th, at 7:00 p.m. ET for an open house featuring author and musician Bob Ostertag. We will discuss Bob’s 2016 book, Sex, Science, and Self: A Social History of Estrogen, Testosterone, and Identity which discusses the complicated relationship between medical innovations, psychology, the sexual revolution, gay rights advocacy, and modern man’s search for an authentic self that suffers less.
Registration is free and open to all!
FAIR Fundraiser: Los Angeles
Join us on Thursday, November 10th at 7:00 p.m. PT at The Berkshire House in Los Angeles, California for a special evening of music, conversation, and celebration!
Featuring FAIR in the Arts Fellows Winston Marshall, Lincoln Jones, and Michelle Pollino, this event is an opportunity to meet FAIR members, Advisors, and volunteers, and directly support FAIR’s pro-human approach to cultural issues.
FAIR Fundraiser: San Francisco
Join us on Saturday, November 12th at 6:00 p.m. PT at Villa Taverna in San Francisco, California for a special evening of music, conversation, and celebration.
Featuring FAIR in the Arts Fellows Winston Marshall and FAIR Advisor Michael Shellenberger, this event includes an option for a VIP pre-event cocktail hour with
FAIR Fundraiser: New York City
Join us on Saturday, November 12th at 6:00 p.m. PT at Butterfly in New York City for a special evening of music, conversation, and celebration, featuring FAIR in the Arts Fellows Winston Marshall and Daryl Davis, along with Kevin Ray and Sahar Tartak.
Rights and Responsibilities: A Symposium for School Board Members
The importance of school boards has come to the forefront in recent years. Join us at the Great Wolf Lodge in the Wisconsin Dells from the evening of Thursday, December 15th to Saturday, December 17th to learn more about your rights and responsibilities as a board member, and how to approach your local community leadership position using FAIR’s principles of fairness, understanding, and humanity.
Presenters include FAIR Advisors Robert Pondiscio, Adam Seagrave, and Zander Keig, along with Cory Brewer, Jennifer Meinhardt, and FAIR Action Fellow Tanya Simons.
Registration is FREE and open to all!
FAIR Perspectives Podcast
This week on Fair Perspectives, we speak with Bryan Caplan. Bryan is an American economist, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, and the New York Times Bestselling author of many books including The Myth of the Rational Voter, Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids, The Case Against Education, Open Borders, and most recently, Don't Be A Feminist, which is currently available on Amazon for $12.99! He is also the editor and chief writer for the blog Bet On It and has published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, TIME, Newsweek, the Atlantic, American Economic Review, Economic Journal, Journal of Law and Economics, and Intelligence.
We discuss libertarianism and what type of libertarian Bryan is; the definition of Anarcho-Capitalism and how it would work in our society; Bryan's new book Don't Be A Feminist; and Bryan's case for open borders.
FAIR News Podcast
For audio versions of our FAIR News and FAIR Weekly Roundup newsletters, subscribe and listen to FAIR News Weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or via RSS feed.
Sarah Haider: Freedom of Religion Means Respecting the Right to Be Without It
For FAIR’s YouTube channel, Co-Founder of Ex-Muslims of North America Sarah Haider describes the difficulties and intolerance she and many others have faced for leaving and criticizing their religion—from being called a “hate monger” to an “Uncle Tom” to a “house Arab.” Sarah emphasizes that the pro-human values of tolerance, fairness, understanding, and humanity should be extended to all, regardless of their beliefs (or lack thereof).
I don’t think anyone, even those who hate my apostasy, should be silenced. What I ask for is that we stand up for the right to speak for everyone, including both those that stand with us and even those who call for the death of disbelievers. This is what ex-believers like myself from all religions ask for: the freedom to be ourselves. Please stand with us.
FAIR Educators Alliance & Administrators Alliance Happy Hours
Teachers often feel isolated and alone in their schools, but FAIR is here for you! The FAIR Educators Alliance brings together educators from all levels to share experiences and concerns and work on developing resources that can support teachers, community members, and FAIR chapters.
FAIR’s Educator’s Alliance is hosting an informal happy hour every other Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. ET, and hold more formal monthly meetings that will address issues based on your interests and needs.
If you’re a K-12 school administrator, we’re here to support you too! You’re invited to join the FAIR Administrators Alliance, which is holding its next meeting TONIGHT, October 13th at 1:00 p.m. ET!
All teachers and administrators are welcome!
For more information, contact educators@fairforall.org.
Join the FAIR Community
Become a FAIR volunteer or join a FAIR chapter:
Join a Welcome to FAIR Zoom information session to learn more about our mission, or watch a previously recorded session in the Members section of www.fairforall.org.
Take the Pro-Human Pledge and help promote a common culture based on fairness, understanding, and humanity.
Join the FAIR community to connect and share information with other members.
Share your reviews and incident reports on our FAIR Transparency website.
"Gender-affirming care" is a euphemism for experimental therapies that can potentially cause irreparable harm to children, all the while ignoring safe treatments like counseling or waiting until maturity. My latest "2026" Substack covers euphemisms in "To Translate Slogans, Think Opposites: Euphemisms disguise undesirable results." For tips on how to analyze false narratives, slogans and euphemisms, follow 2026.substack.com.