WHO Seemingly Removes Trans Activist From Health Panel

January 17, 2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) has quietly dismissed a trans activist from Canada from its transgender health policy panel.

According to Newsmax, Florence Ashley, who teaches law at the University of Alberta, was appointed last year to the 21 person committee that advises on international treatment guidelines for gender dysphoria.

The Daily Mail reports that Ashley was included in the original list of panel members that was released on Jan 3 but has disappeared from a revised list released earlier this week. It had been reported earlier that Ashley was among roughly half the members of the advisory panel who have no medical background or expertise.

Ashley was reported to have co-written a paper saying that puberty blockers and hormone therapies should be treated as the “default option” for children with gender dysphoria. The paper recommended dispensing with mental health evaluations, saying:

“Is there any reason to ask people to go through a lengthy and complex gender assessment in order to access gender-affirming care, or is that useless and should the time best be put in supporting decision-making. And what our article concludes is that there’s really no evidence that gender assessments work… it’s just a lengthier process for no real reason.“

Ashley’s removal from the board underscored earlier concerns expressed by human rights advocates who questioned the panel’s inclusion of activists, social justice workers, STD researchers and human rights lawyers.

Leor Sapir, a policy researcher at the Manhattan Institute stated, “This is a good first step; WHO was probably eager to ditch a figure that could cause embarrassment.”

Photo, top: Credit: Richmond Lam