Beyond Transition: Accountability & Reform

Mar 11, 2026, 5:30PM

PROTECTING CHILDREN AND RESTORING TRUST IN MEDICINE ROUNDTABLE. 

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) convened leaders, clinicians, policymakers, and advocates in Washington, D.C. for a roundtable on protecting children and restoring integrity in the medical system. The discussion centered on new research, lived experiences, and policy solutions related to gender ideology in medicine and its effects on vulnerable individuals.AFPI Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Alex Caro Campana hosted the event, which brought together experts and individuals with firsthand experience to discuss how institutions can realign with truth, accountability, and patient-centered care.

A CALL TO PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLE

Dr. Alveda King opened the evening with a prayer, emphasizing faith, purpose, and the moral responsibility to protect children. Her message highlighted the need for courage, clarity, and compassion in addressing significant cultural and medical challenges.Campana stressed the urgency of the issue, acknowledging progress while outlining ongoing challenges:

• 27 states have enacted legislation to protect children from harmful medical interventions
• Federal leadership has taken historic steps to address the issue
• Grassroots advocates and families continue to drive awareness and accountability

“We are here to defend vulnerable children and ensure they are not failed by the very systems meant to protect them.”

THE FAILURE OF MODERN MEDICAL PRACTICE

Dr. Jennifer Bauwens, Director of AFPI’s Center for American Values, outlined a core breakdown within the psychological and medical fields: a departure from evidence-based care toward ideology-driven treatment.Drawing on decades of clinical and research experience, she explained how trust in the therapeutic profession has eroded.

• Medical and psychological institutions have ignored emerging evidence of harm
• Clinicians are increasingly pressured to affirm rather than evaluate
• Underlying trauma and mental health conditions are often overlooked

“Trust has been broken — and it is our responsibility to repair it.”Bauwens stated that therapy should aim to reduce distress and improve mental health outcomes, rather than prioritize altering the body as a first-line intervention.

THE LONG BUILD OF AN IDEOLOGY

The discussion clarified that current challenges developed over time. Bauwens traced the roots of gender ideology through decades of academic, clinical, and cultural changes:

• Early normalization of gender identity concepts in academic settings
• Expansion of diagnostic frameworks without sufficient scientific grounding
• Cultural reinforcement through education, media, and institutions

“This is a long game. And it requires sustained effort at every level to correct course.”

POLICY ACTION AND FEDERAL LEADERSHIP

Former White House Special Assistant for Domestic Policy Scott Centorino outlined the policy actions taken at the federal level to address the issue.He highlighted the importance of leadership in enabling meaningful reform:

• Early executive action to end federal support for harmful medical procedures on minors
• A comprehensive Department of Health and Human Services report challenging the scientific basis of gender-affirming care
• Ongoing regulatory efforts to restrict federal funding and impose accountability standards on medical institutions

“The seriousness of this issue is reflected not just in policy — but in how quickly those policies were enacted.”Centorino also recognized the contributions of policy experts and individuals whose willingness to share their stories made reform possible.

THE POWER OF PERSONAL TESTIMONY

Testimony from individuals directly impacted by medical transition was a central part of the roundtable.Forrest Smith, a detransitioner and advocate, offered an analytical and historical perspective, describing how flawed diagnostic frameworks can become belief systems that influence identity and life outcomes.

• Medical diagnoses can redefine how individuals see themselves
• Psychiatric frameworks are often less precise than assumed
• Harm can result when belief replaces scientific rigor

“When diagnosis becomes belief, it shapes lives — and not always for the better.”Smith warned of systemic failures in psychiatry and called for renewed scientific integrity and ethical restraint.Soren Aldaco shared her experience with transition and detransition, highlighting the emotional cost and her path toward healing.

• Legal accountability for medical harm is beginning to emerge
• Healing is complex, non-linear, and deeply personal
• Life beyond transition is not only possible — it is meaningful and worth pursuing

“Beyond awareness must come accountability.”Her testimony reinforced the need for systems that support recovery, justice, and long-term care for affected individuals.RESTORING TRUST IN MEDICINEPanelists agreed that restoring trust is essential to addressing the crisis.Dr. Kurt Miceli highlighted the loss of confidence within the medical profession, including among practitioners.

• Patients and families increasingly lack trust in clinicians
• Medical institutions must confront past failures
• Transparency and accountability are essential to rebuilding credibility

“We must earn back the trust that has been lost.”Panelists discussed developing diagnostic codes for detransition-related care to improve research, treatment, and accountability in the healthcare system.

THE ROLE OF CLINICIANS AND THERAPISTS

Experts agreed that clinicians should lead efforts to correct course.Stella O’Malley, psychotherapist and founder of Genspect, emphasized that mental health professionals must prioritize psychological care over irreversible physical interventions.

• Therapy should focus on resolving distress, not affirming identity at all costs
• Medical interventions are being applied without sufficient evidence
• Professionals must reclaim ethical responsibility within their fields

“If you work with the mind, you must be a force for good.”The panel also addressed the chilling effect in the profession, noting that many clinicians avoid the issue due to fear of backlash or professional consequences.

POLICY SOLUTIONS AND A PATH FORWARD

AFPI leaders and panelists outlined a strategic path forward:

• Prioritize protections for minors while building broader public awareness
• Expand research and data collection on detransition and medical harm
• Reform medical and psychological standards to align with evidence-based care
• Support legal accountability for harmful practices
• Empower families, patients, and clinicians to speak openly

Bauwens highlighted a critical data point:

• Between 65% and 94% of children experiencing gender distress reconcile with their biological sex without medical intervention

“This is one of the highest success rates in all of psychological care — and it comes without invasive treatment.”

THE STAKES AHEAD

Throughout the discussion, panelists agreed that the current moment offers a rare opportunity for meaningful change.

• Federal leadership is aligned on the issue
• Public awareness is growing rapidly
• Legal challenges are beginning to reshape the landscape

“If we act now, we can change the trajectory of this issue for a generation.”

THE ROAD AHEAD

The roundtable concluded with a call to sustaThe roundtable concluded with a call for sustained action in policy, culture, medicine, and community.estimony and clinical reform, the movement to protect children and restore integrity in medicine is gaining momentum.AFPI remains at the forefront of this effort, working to ensure that truth, accountability, and compassion guide the future of American healthcare.

The mission is clear: protect the vulnerable, restore trust, and realign medicine with its core purpose to heal.