The Fight Against Unproven Medical Practices in North Carolina's Senate Race

The Senate race in North Carolina’s 7th District, New Hannover County, has become a heated battle over child gender care, a controversial issue for the medical community and voters. The Democrat Senate candidate and pediatrician, is causing controversy with his views on these treatments that many in the medical community find misguided and harmful.

Senator Michael Lee, a seasoned legislator, has been a beacon of conservative values in the Senate for four terms. His recent legislative efforts, like the Parents Bill of Rights, underscore his commitment to family values, ensuring that children's education remains free from inappropriate content and that their health decisions involve parental consent.

Enter Dr. David Hill, a pediatrician with ties to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an organization known for advocating policies many conservatives find abhorrent, particularly regarding child gender transitions. While there's no direct evidence that Hill performs these procedures, his association and public statements supporting such practices raise significant red flags for those who believe in traditional family values and the sanctity of childhood innocence.

A growing sector of the international medical community has also denounced these controversial treatments. 

The highly respected American College of Pediatrics has found no consistent evidence that experimental treatments for children provide any real benefits. In fact, research highlights significant risks, including depression, bone issues, sterility, and even an increased risk of suicide. In Europe, where youth sex changes have been practiced the longest, many countries have essentially banned these treatments due to weak evidence of their effectiveness and the high potential for harm.

Senator Lee has capitalized on this unease, labeling Hill’s support for these treatments as evidence of his “extreme liberal ideology.” Hill is being challenged not just for his medical judgment, but also for supporting policies that could be viewed as medical overreach or quackery by those who value traditional medical caution and skepticism towards new, unproven treatments.

The debate over child gender care in this election is not just about who will represent the 7th District; it has a referendum on medical ethics, parental rights, and the role of the government in regulating medical practices for minors. For conservative voters, this race symbolizes a broader battle against what they perceive as an assault on traditional values and medical ethics. 

LEGAL CHALLENGE

Last week, Hill sent a cease-and-desist letter to Senator Lee over campaign ads. The ads emphasized that Hill “strongly supports sex change surgery for kids,” a statement Hill’s legal team labels as “false and misleading.” The contention doesn’t stop at the policy level; it delves into personal and professional defamation, with Hill’s campaign taking umbrage at being labeled a “quack,” a term he argues is reserved for egregious misconduct.

In a statement to WECT, Lee said,

“The ads you have seen, and the ones referred to in David’s press release (and corresponding attorney letter) are accurate, without question.”

Regarding calling Dr. Hill a “quack” in the commercial, Lee had this to say:

“As to use of the word “quack”, a plain reading of the mailer that went out from the Majority Fund states, “quack liberal”. The ad is about David’s extreme liberal ideology on three important issues. The ad was never intended to, nor does it state, anything about his competence to practice medicine, but explicitly calls into question his stance on these important issues,”

In response, Lee’s campaign has stood firm, asserting the accuracy of their claims by referencing Hill’s public statements on gender-affirming care for minors.