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‘Science-Based Medicine’ and transgender people

Science-Based Medicine (SBM) is a group blog “exploring issues and controversies in the relationship between science and medicine.” Their coverage of trans healthcare is primarily fair and accurate, and they are notable for giving trans authors a platform.

SBM is notable for exposing the rift within the skeptic community over transgender topics. Many anti-trans skeptics and writers have been highly critical of SBM.

Background

Science-Based Medicine (SBM) launched on January 1, 2008. SBM is owned and operated by the New England Skeptical Society.

In 2013, Mark Crislip founded the nonprofit Society for Science-Based Medicine. In 2020, it was dissolved and merged into the Center for Inquiry.

The NESS co-organizes a science conference, the Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism (NECSS) which prominently features SBM content. NECSS is produced by New York City Skeptics, the New England Skeptical Society, The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe, and The Society for Science-Based Medicine.

“an influential blog that has tirelessly gone after alternative medicine.”

Founding contributors

  • David Gorski (editor)
  • Steven Novella (editor)
  • Harriet Hall (editor)
  • Mark Crislip
  • Kimball Atwood

Contributors

Controbutors include:

  • Kimball C. Atwood IV
  • Jann Bellamy
  • Igor Bussel
  • James Coyne
  • Jim Dougherty
  • AJ Eckert
  • Steve Hendry
  • Sam Homola
  • Jonathan Howard
  • Paul Ingraham
  • Val Jones
  • Ben Kavoussi
  • Olle Kjellin
  • Timothy Kreider
  • David J. Kroll
  • Martin Lessem
  • Peter Lipson
  • Rose Lovell 
  • Brennen McKenzie
  • Quinnehtukqut McLamore 
  • Eugenie Mielczarek
  • Andrey Pavlov
  • David W. Ramey
  • Grant Ritchey
  • Linda Rosa
  • John M. Snyder
  • Wallace Sampson
  • Brynn Tannehill
  • Lorne Trottier
  • David Weinberg

Harriet Hall

Founding editor Harriet Hall (1945–2023) was the exception in their coverage of transgender healthcare.

On February 16, 2016, Hall promoted the anti-trans book Galileo’s Middle Finger by Alice Dreger.

On September 11, 2018, Hall published an overview on trans healthcare for minors that was clearly influenced by anti-trans activists. Hall wrote: “The problem with diagnosing early onset gender dysphoria is that some children will feel differently when they grow older.” Hall then refers to work by Jo Bartosch, James Cantor, Richard Green, Walt Heyer, Paul McHugh, John Whitehall, and the DSM criteria for “gender dysphoria” co-authored by Ray Blanchard and Kenneth Zucker. Hall only presents Kelley Winters as having differing views.

On September 18, 2018, Hall criticized a disputed study on the proposed disease “rapid-onset gender dysphoria” (ROGD) by Lisa Littman. ROGD was workshopped and developed on forums for unaccepting parents of gender diverse children. Hall also criticized Brown University for choosing not to promote it, writing, “I don’t think evidence should ever be suppressed because of fears that some people might mis-use it.”

On June 15, 2021, Hall published a glowing review of Abigail Shrier’s Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters. The review stated that the book raised legitimate concerns about the science behind drug treatments for gender dysphoria in children and highlighted a lack of high-quality studies. Days later, Novella and Gorski replaced the review with a retraction notice and published a response—the first of six SBM posts rejecting Shrier’s claims and explaining the retraction. Hall’s review was later published by anti-trans activist Michael Shermer on Shermer’s Skeptic blog.

Dispute with Jesse Singal

Anti-trans podcaster Jesse Singal has had a long-running dispute with the publication over their trans coverage. Singal is known for “sealioning,” or persistent and aggressive challenges to Singal’s opinions about trans healthcare for minors. Whenever a publication mentions Singal or a like-minded activist, Singal typically sends emails or writes blog and social media posts complaining about the coverage and demanding various corrections about errors or omissions, often minor ones.

References

Press release (August 17, 2020). The Society for Science-Based Medicine Joins the Center for Inquiry. https://centerforinquiry.org/news/the-society-for-science-based-medicine-joins-the-center-for-inquiry/

Novella, Steven (May 1, 2015). It’s Time for Science-Based Medicine. Skeptical Inquirer https://skepticalinquirer.org/2015/05/its-time-for-science-based-medicine/

Volokh, Eugene (April 8, 2015). Society for Science-Based Medicine is “media defendant” under Florida statute. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/04/08/society-for-science-based-medicine-is-media-defendant-under-florida-statute/

Freedman, David H. (July 2011). The Triumph of New-Age Medicine. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/the-triumph-of-new-age-medicine/308554/

Plait, Phil (January 12, 2008). Medical blog now online. Slate https://slate.com/technology/2008/01/medical-blog-now-online.html

Editors (January 1, 2008). Announcing the Science-Based Medicine Blog. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/hello-world/

Anti-trans coverage

Singal, Jesse (February 7, 2026). How Can Doctors Like This Provide Competent Care To Their Patients? Some beef with Dr. Jonathan Howard. Singal-Minded https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/how-can-doctors-like-this-provide

Singal, Jesse (September 25, 2021). An Emeritus Editor At Science-Based Medicine Just Sent This Letter To Steven Novella Criticizing The Site’s Recent Turn Away From Rigorous Science. Singal-Minded https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/an-emeritus-editor-at-science-based

Williams, Nathan (August 23, 2021). Ideology-based medicine: How the ”Science-Based Medicine” blog succumbed to the pressure of trans ideology. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/ideology-based-medicine/

Singal, Jesse (July 19, 2021). Science-Based Medicine’s Coverage Of “Irreversible Damage” Included About 19 Errors, False Claims About Three Sex Researchers, Made-Up Quotes, And Endless Misinformation. Singal-Minded https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/science-based-medicines-coverage

Singal, Jesse (July 10, 2021). How Science-Based Medicine Botched Its Coverage Of The Youth Gender Medicine Debate. Singal-Minded https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/how-science-based-medicine-botched

Selected trans coverage

Novella, Steven (May 15, 2024). Male and Female Brains are Different. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/male-and-female-brains-are-different/

Eckert, AJ (December 17, 2023). When a “gender critical” is a runner-up for the Maddox Prize for standing up for science… Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/when-a-gender-critical-is-runner-up-for-the-maddox-prize-for-standing-up-for-science/

Eckert, AJ; McLamore, Quinnehtukqut (May 14, 2023). Detransition, Retransition, and What Everyone Gets Wrong. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/detransition-retransition-and-what-everyone-gets-wrong/

Eckert, AJ; McLamore, Quinnehtukqut (December 4, 2022). What the New York Times gets wrong about puberty blockers for transgender youth. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-the-new-york-times-gets-wrong-about-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-youth/

Eckert, AJ; Gorski, David (July 14, 2022). In What Is a Woman?, Matt Walsh asks a question, but doesn’t like the answers. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/in-what-is-a-woman-matt-walsh-asks-a-question/

Novella, Steven (July 13, 2022). The Science of Biological Sex. What does the science actually say about biological sex? Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-science-of-biological-sex/

Tannehill, Brynn; Gorski, David; Eckert, AJ (July 3, 2022). Gender-Affirming Care is Not Experimental, Part II. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/gender-affirming-care-is-not-experimental-part-ii/

Eckert, AJ; McLamore, Quinnehtukqut (October 22, 2022). Cutting through the Lies and Misinterpretations about the Updated Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/cutting-through-the-lies-and-misinterpretations-about-the-updated-standards-of-care-for-the-health-of-transgender-and-gender-diverse-people/

Eckert, AJ (September 5, 2021). About those “19 Errors,” Part Two. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/about-those-19-errors-part-two/

Lovell, Rose (September 2, 2021). About those “19 errors,” part one. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/about-those-19-errors-part-one/

Eckert, AJ (July 18, 2021). Irreversible Damage to the Trans Community: A Critical Review of Abigail Shrier’s Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters (Part Two). Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/irreversible-damage-to-the-trans-community-a-critical-review-of-abigail-shriers-book-irreversible-damage-the-transgender-craze-seducing-our-daughters-part-two/

Eckert, AJ (July 4, 2021). Irreversible Damage to the Trans Community: A Critical Review of Abigail Shrier’s Irreversible Damage (Part One). Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/irreversible-damage-to-the-trans-community-a-critical-review-of-abigail-shriers-book-irreversible-damage-part-one/

Lovell, Rose (July 2, 2021). Abigail Shrier’s Irreversible Damage: A Wealth of Irreversible Misinformation. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/abigail-shriers-irreversible-damage-a-wealth-of-irreversible-misinformation/

Novella, Steven; Gorski, David (June 30, 2021). The Science of Transgender Treatment. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-science-of-transgender-treatment/

Hall, Harriet (June 15, 2021). [Retracted]: Book Review: Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, by Abigail Shrier. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/irreversible-damage-the-transgender-craze-seducing-our-daughters/ republished as Hall, Harriet (June 17, 2021). Trans Science: A review of Abigail Shrier’s Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters. Skeptic https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/trans-science-review-of-abigail-shier-irreversible-damage-transgender-craze-seducing-our-daughters/

Hall, Harriet (September 18, 2018). Rapid-onset Gender Dysphoria and Squelching Controversial Evidence. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria-and-squelching-controversial-evidence/

Hall, Harriet (September 11, 2018). Gender Dysphoria in Children: Gender transitions are becoming more and more common. Adults can make informed decisions about hormone treatments and gender reassignment surgeries, but what about children? Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/gender-dysphoria-in-children/

Resources

Science-Based Medicine (sciencebasedmedicine.org)

New England Skeptical Society (theness.com)

New York City Skeptics (nycskeptics.org)

Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism (necss.org)

Society for Science-Based Medicine (sfsbm.org)

Center for Inquiry (centerforinquiry.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Facebook (facebook.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

LiveJournal (livejournal.com)

Patreon (patreon.com)