MSNBC’s ability to live down to expectations was on full display on Thursday’s Jose Diaz-Balart Reports as guest host Lindsey Reiser welcomed executive director of Trans Family Support Services, Kathie Moehlig onto the program to accuse red states who do not believe in providing “gender-affirming care” to minors of getting in the way of preventing youth suicides.
Resiser kicked off the segment by reporting on California legislation that “is designed to provide safety for parents and families from other states who face losing custody or being criminally prosecuted if they support their children’s access to gender-affirming care and procedures.”
After introducing Moehlig, Reiser inquired, “You are a mother, your son is transgender. Talk to me about how important this bill is to you and why you think it's needed.”
Moehlig responded by declaring anyone who does not want to give such “care” to youths is getting in the way of suicide prevention:
Well, it's important because over a decade ago when my son started his transition, I couldn't find medical providers locally that were willing to treat him and it was devastating to us to not have the medical community behind us. You know, as we do this work across the country with Trans Family Support Services, we've already seen families coming to California from other states to get this access to care. So it's vitally important. This care is not only medically necessary for our adolescents, but it is suicide prevention.
The main driver of this talking point is a University of Washington study that had several problems that even UW and Seattle Children’s Hospital acknowledge by quietly editing the report. However, such acknowledgments were only recently unveiled by obtained e-mails showing they inexplicably considered the coverage of the original report to be old news and unworthy of a public update because it originally brought good publicity.
Not disturbed by this major inconvenience, Resiser returned to add, “There are more than 150 anti-trans bills that have been introduced since 2020 according to an NBC News analysis. Want your reaction to this what appears to be an increase and also anything you want folks in those states with restrictive laws to know.”
Moehlig took the opportunity to repeat herself about red states putting children’s lives on the line, “These attacks on the very rights of our individuals for political gain have to stop. Kids' lives are at stake here, their livelihood. We want our youth to thrive. All of our kids just went through this pandemic. There's all kinds of things that are happening. And, you know, school is challenging, all these other pieces. We don't need lawmakers coming up with things that are just going to be more barriers for the success of these youth.”
Speaking of success, MSNBC would be more successful if it would do some actual reporting on this subject rather than just opening up the floor to activists to vilify Republicans.
This segment was sponsored by Golden Corral.
Here is a transcript for the September 1 show:
MSNBC Jose Diaz-Balart Reports
9/1/2022
10:52 AM ET:
LINDSEY REISER: All it takes is a signature from California to become a new legal refuge for transgender youth in America. A new bill modeled after abortion sanctuary legislation has already passed the state assembly and senate. Now, whether it becomes law is up to the governor. The legislation is designed to provide safety for parents and families from other states who face losing custody or being criminally prosecuted if they support their children’s access to gender-affirming care and procedures. With us right now is Kathie Moehlig, executive director of Trans Family Support Services, also a co-sponsor of the bill. Kathie, thanks for being with us. You are a mother, your son is transgender. Talk to me about how important this bill is to you and why you think it's needed.
KATHIE MOEHLIG: Well, it's important because over a decade ago when my son started his transition, I couldn't find medical providers locally that were willing to treat him and it was devastating to us to not have the medical community behind us. You know, as we do this work across the country with Trans Family Support Services, we've already seen families coming to California from other states to get this access to care. So it's vitally important. This care is not only medically necessary for our adolescents, but it is suicide prevention.
REISER: There are more than 150 anti-trans bills that have been introduced since 2020 according to an NBC News analysis. Want your reaction to this what appears to be an increase and also anything you want folks in those states with restrictive laws to know.
MOEHLIG: Yeah, the attacks that are happening to our children and our young adults is quite wide and this is affecting not just the kids that are in the states that have all of these bills introduced, but to the trans youth population across our nation, even for kids that are in states like California that isn't passing these bills.
These attacks on the very rights of our individuals for political gain have to stop. Kids' lives are at stake here, their livelihood. We want our youth to thrive. All of our kids just went through this pandemic. There's all kinds of things that are happening. And, you know, school is challenging, all these other pieces. We don't need lawmakers coming up with things that are just going to be more barriers for the success of these youth.
