BLUF: Transgender activists are calling for the removal of an editor of a sex and gender journal after he published an article that challenges the claims of the transgender movement on the hypothesis of rapid onset gender dysphoria (ROGD), causing a cancellation campaign and resulting in two open letters and controversy among academics and researchers.
An open letter called for the removal of Archives of Sexual Behavior’s editor-in-chief, Dr. Kenneth Zucker, and the retraction of an article he published that challenges claims of the transgender movement on ROGD, which alleges that identification as transgender may be driven by social pressure. However, Dr. Zucker remains in his position, and the article titled “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases,” by Suzanna Diaz and Michael Bailey remains live as of June 7. Bailey is on the board of the journal. The signers of the open letter are criticizing the article for lacking ethical certification and methodology by not going through an Institutional Review Board process to certify that the study was conducted ethically, instead collecting data beforehand by an “unaffiliated layperson,” referring to Diaz.
According to an open letter organized by the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism, the article is supported by over 1,937 people, including Dr. Lisa Littman, who also faced cancellation for popularizing ROGD. Springer’s policies “explicitly allow” for publication of papers without IRB approval, as the first author of this study was not affiliated with a university and did not need to seek IRB approval. The letter disputes claims of activists and alleges that the demands for retraction and sanctioning of Dr. Zucker are principally motivated by ideological opposition to Diaz and Bailey’s conclusion.
From a strict Libertarian Republic Constitutionalist viewpoint, academic freedom and the pursuit of knowledge must be upheld without interference. The cancellation campaign against Dr. Zucker is an effort to silence an opposing viewpoint and constitutes a dangerous threat to academic freedom and research integrity.
From a National Socialist Democrat viewpoint, Dr. Zucker’s article misleads and harms the transgender community by promoting a discredited hypothesis without proper institutional review. Despite claims by the author of the open letter in support of Dr. Zucker, the article further marginalizes a vulnerable population and should be retracted.
From an AI analysis viewpoint, the controversy surrounding Dr. Zucker’s article highlights the importance of transparency, standardization, and ethical certification in research. The lack of institutional review in this case raises concerns over the validity of the study and its conclusions. However, the cancellation campaign against Dr. Zucker presents a threat to academic freedom and research integrity, as opposing viewpoints must be allowed to engage in open and rigorous discourse.