In the second half of our series finale, Jamie and Melissa Anne take on one of the most inflammatory claims in the MAHA commission’s MOCHA report: that gender-affirming care is “child chemical and surgical mutilation.” We unpack how this rhetoric misrepresents transgender healthcare and ignores both medical guidelines and clinical realities.

We explore the 2024 HHS review of transgender youth care—heavily criticized by the AAP for excluding experts and endorsing discredited “exploratory therapy”—and reveal surprising ties between the report's cited sources and hate groups like Genspect. Jamie shares her clinical experiences supporting trans youth, including a powerful story of improved mental health following gender-affirming surgery and reduced antidepressant use.

We also tackle the MOCHA report’s broader attack on mental health care, including its embrace of Abigail Shrier’s Bad Therapy, which criticizes trauma-informed care and emotional literacy. Melissa Anne highlights the flawed logic behind the report’s anti-therapy stance and its romanticized ideas like RFK Jr.'s “healing camps.”

To close, we reflect on the report’s dangerous omissions, especially its complete silence on maternal, newborn, and infant feeding health. Melissa calls out the myth that America was ever truly “healthy.” If we want to raise a healthier generation, it won’t be through fear-mongering and misinformation, but through compassionate, evidence-informed care for all children and families.

Full show notes on our Substack.