PolitiFact isn’t the only “fact checker” that abandons the facts to embrace the Church of Gender Fluidity. On Thursday, CNN’s went after Sen. Rand Paul for referring to the removal of a penis as “genital mutilation.” There’s also breast amputation, but CNN “fact checker” Aaron Millman put the scary snip-snip aside for politically correct descriptions – six usages of “gender confirmation” surgeries or “gender affirmation” treatments.
That's not counting the headline: "Fact-checking Rand Paul's comparisons of genital mutilation and gender confirmation surgery."
Using terms like "affirmation" and "confirmation" clearly identify CNN with LGBTQ orthodoxy, but they're not "facts" words. They're "feelings" words. CNN is "Feelings First" on this "fact" check.
The video clip above this "fact" article makes the CNN spin clear, with the screen describing Paul's speech as a "TRANSPHOBIC RANT." Millman wrote:
Paul talked at length about the ills of genital mutilation, saying it "is recognized internationally as a violation of international human rights," and drew a comparison between that and gender confirmation surgeries.
Paul claimed that "most genital mutilation is not typically performed by force but, as WHO notes, by social convention." He then argued that "American culture is now normalizing the idea that minors can be given hormones to prevent their biological development of their secondary sexual characteristics."
Facts First: Paul's analogy relies on a misunderstanding of gender affirmation treatments and misinformation from non-credible sources. In making his comparison, Paul draws on data from the American College of Pediatricians, a group that many health experts believe is on the wrong side of a number of controversial medical topics, especially the issue of gender conversion therapy. (Italics theirs, bold is mine.)
Most medical professionals disagree with Paul's comparison, including Dr. Jason Rafferty, who authored the American Association of Pediatricians' policy statement on transgender and gender diverse youth health care.
Millman is trying to suggest that the AAP -- which has accepted all tenets of the LGBTQ ideology, and eschewed the hard facts of biological sex -- is somehow non-political, non-ideological, "mainstream" -- while the ACP represents "non-credible sources."
In other words, the AAP is supposed to be revered like CNN, and the ACP should be tainted like Fox News.
Dr. Rafferty was also an "expert" in the PolitiFact "science says not two genders" article. Rafferty protested the equation of forced genital mutilation with the voluntary kind, focused on the feelings: "The outcome is trying to better align [a trans young person's] body with their sense of self rather than a process that causes [an] ongoing sense of distress and harm throughout their lives," said Rafferty, differentiating between gender confirmation surgery and genital mutilation".
Eddie Scarry of the Washington Examiner pointed out that CNN shares a tactic with USA Today: they’re letting interns do the “fact checking.” Under his Twitter bio with the words “justice unit intern,” his pronouns (he/him) and a rainbow-flag emoji (confirming he's an LGBTQ ally), his "header" photo is liberal Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) with Desus & Mero.
Millman happily tweeted out his first solo article for CNN’s website:
