(Chris Parker, Headline USA) The federal government has gone so far in its defense and promotion of transgender lifestyles that it is now violating the First Amendment rights of many Americans, according to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
He is now demanding that the Justice Department and American Medical Association submit all communications after a request to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s office by the AMA to file charges against “disinformation campaigns” targeting transgender procedures for children, reported Rebel News.
While those communications have not yet been revealed, the AMA’s classification of “misinformation” likely includes those who are critical of the procedures, given the federal government’s history of supporting them.
Cruz accused the DOJ of a “continued pattern of abusing its investigative authority to police the speech of Americans and stifle ongoing policy debates.”
“This request by advocacy organizations to have the federal government stifle critical speech on their behalf would have been unthinkable before your tenure as Attorney General,” Cruz continued.
The letter to Garland was endorsed by senators Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; Mike Lee, R-Utah; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; and Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., according to the Daily Signal.
The letter also addressed the National School Board union’s efforts to prosecute parents who express opposition to Critical Race Theory lessons in schools: “Five days later, in response to this letter, you issued your October 4th memorandum directing the FBI to involve itself in policing public discourse, using the NSBA letter as a pretext.
In compliance with your memorandum, the FBI’s Counterterrorism and Criminal Divisions created the threat tag ‘EDUOFFICIALS,’ and opened dozens of investigations into the activities of concerned parents.”
The letter over trans speech comes at a time when expert researchers and state health agencies have found that studies supporting transgender procedures for minors rely more on bias than actual science.
“Systematic reviews on hormonal treatment for young people show a trend of fact sheet low-quality evidence, small sample sizes, and medium to high risk of bias,” said one Florida Health letter.
Despite relying on facts and scientific studies, such reports could be labeled as illegal misinformation by the federal government, if the AMA’s requests are honored. It also effectively sets the precedent that the federal government can determine which opinions are “misinformed” and illegal.
“The issue of how best to treat minors struggling with their gender dysphoria is the subject of ongoing and emotional debate, which Americans have a protected First Amendment right to fully engage in,” said Cruz’s letter.
“The weaponization of federal law enforcement agencies like the DOJ, in order to produce preferred policy outcomes, cannot continue — our democracy depends on it,” the letter argued.
