Debunking the Myth: No Evidence of Children Receiving Gender-Affirming Surgeries in U.S. Schools

During the final stretch of former U.S. President Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2024, a claim emerged that attempts to tap into transphobia and U.S. parents' fears over what happens in schools without their knowledge or approval. The claim alleges that children have gone to school and returned home having received gender-affirming surgeries, or that school officials have somehow "changed the sex" of children. However, a thorough investigation has revealed that this claim is entirely unfounded.

Exposing the Falsehood: Trump's Unsubstantiated Allegations

Unverified Claims and Lack of Evidence

On multiple occasions, Trump alleged, without citing any evidence, that children have gone to school and returned home later having received gender-affirming surgeries. For instance, while speaking to a crowd in Tucson, Arizona, on Sept. 12, 2024, Trump spoke of what he called "transgender insanity" occurring in the U.S., and then said, "Can you imagine your child goes to school and they don't even call you, and they change the sex of your child?" However, a thorough investigation by reputable news outlets and medical professionals has uncovered no evidence to support this claim.

Debunking the Assertion

In an article that debunked the assertion, NBC News reported that about half the states in the U.S. ban transition-related surgery for minors, and even in states where such care is still legal, it is rare. Additionally, guidelines from several major medical associations state that a parent or guardian must provide consent before a minor undergoes gender-affirming care, including transition-related surgery. Most major medical associations in the U.S. support gender-affirming care for minors experiencing gender dysphoria, but this typically involves puberty blockers for preteens and hormone replacement therapy for older teens, not surgical procedures.

Medical Professionals Refute the Claim

CNN extensively reported on this claim, featuring interviews with medical professionals who refuted the idea of children's surgeries being secretly carried out by or with the involvement of schools. Dr. Meredithe McNamara, an assistant professor of pediatrics specializing in adolescent medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, told CNN that "of course everything in this statement is false," in reference to Trump's remark about children going to school and supposedly coming home "a few days later with an operation." McNamara also stated that she has never seen evidence of even one such surgery occurring inside a U.S. school.

Lack of Evidence from Trump's Campaign

In its reporting, CNN also said that Trump's campaign shared no evidence of any such activity occurring inside schools. Snopes contacted other professionals in the field of pediatrics and the Trump campaign, but they did not receive any responses to support the claim.

Moms for Liberty's Response

Snopes also reached out to Moms for Liberty, the conservative organization co-founded by Tiffany Justice, who had discussed the issue with Trump. In response, Moms for Liberty provided several statements, including one scolding CNN for not including part of the organization's correspondence that detailed five court cases involving lawsuits about schools assisting students in "socially transitioning" from one gender to another. However, it's important to note that none of the five cases involved children undergoing medical operations inside of schools.

Trump's Unfounded Connections to Olympic Athletes

On at least two speaking occasions, Trump connected the false claim about surgeries taking place inside schools with references to Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese female boxer Lin Yu-ting, who were accused of transitioning from male to female to cheat and win gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, as previously reported, Khelif was assigned female at birth, meaning she has always lived as a woman, and the same was true for Lin.In conclusion, the claim that children in the U.S. have gone to school and returned home having received gender-affirming surgeries is entirely unfounded and has been thoroughly debunked by reputable news outlets and medical professionals. The lack of evidence and the refutation of the claim by experts in the field of pediatrics clearly demonstrate that this allegation is nothing more than a political talking point aimed at stoking fear and transphobia among U.S. parents.