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Oregon Clinic Drops Breast Cancer Patient Over “Gender Critical” Views

Although not an American myself, this is a very concerning situation and needs to be seen as even women with breast cancer will be punished for WRONG-THINK when it comes to questioning gender ideology. There’s a growing number of women UN-PERSONED for merely observing biological reality. Article posted below, also REDUXX article enclosed too, I’m hoping this community welcomes the ability for women to discuss these issues without being cancelled.

https://www.thepublica.com/oregon-clinic-drops-breast-cancer-patient-over-gender-critical-views/

https://reduxx.info/oregon-breast-cancer-patient-dropped-from-family-health-provider-after-objecting-to-trans-pride-flag/

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Comments

  • kaynotrealname
    kaynotrealname Member Posts: 438

    She didn't just "merely" observe biological reality. She made disparaging comments and wrote disparaging things. And she didn't own the office. She had no right to criticize and then not expect criticism back. Her doctor decided that her rudeness and lack of respect for his employees made her an uncomfortable patient to serve. That's fine. She can find another doctor's office who can tolerate her bigotry.

    Because that's what this was. It was overt bigotry. If she had made disparaging comments about the color of the staff's skin would that be okay? Should that have been tolerated, too?

  • findingoptimism
    findingoptimism Member Posts: 31

    I would add to the sentiments above that this article is written from the patient's perspective. Even that perspective suggested that she had been disparaging of the staff, so I cannot imagine what the staff's perspective might be. If indeed her private messaging was shared throughout the office that was wrong, however it seems that she felt free to share her opinion in all forums.

    I am sure that I hold some opinions that are different from my doctors, but honestly I don't often encounter scenarios where this becomes a discussion, much less an issue. I would ask myself, how does their collective opinion on gender impact the care I am receiving, i.e., not at all?

  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 5,261

    Making disparaging remarks, writing disparaging comments. This is far more than “thinking” . If she needs to deride others for this then that is bigotry. As a private business, they had every right to sever the relationship and I would think the patient would be happier with a practice that aligns more with her, um, perspective.

  • smc123
    smc123 Member Posts: 38

    sampy661, I can see how this article would concern you. I thought doctors took oaths to treat and heal without bias but what do I know.

  • kaynotrealname
    kaynotrealname Member Posts: 438

    No they don't. No one can treat or heal without bias. It's humanly impossible. What they do is take an oath to do no harm or cause hurt. In order to do no harm, he suggested she find another doctor's office and he can do that because she is not actively dying at the moment. Breast cancer is not an emergency. After all if he actively disliked her, his staff actively disliked her, then it would be hard to serve her in the manner she needs. And that's okay. Even doctors don't have to put up with abuse in a nonemergency setting.

  • alicebastable
    alicebastable Member Posts: 1,946

    The only thing shocking in this situation is the transphobic hate expressed by the patient.

  • smc123
    smc123 Member Posts: 38

    I applaud the doctor for displaying a flag showing supporting the LGBT community. I have a gay sibling and I have a very good friend with a young adult transgender child. I do not support any doctor’s office creating an unfriendly environment for any patient. I don’t see any good in “canceling” another human. This behavior only contributes to the hate. My sibling and friend don’t even want people canceled and anyone that spreads any type of hate isn’t any better than the person they are trying to cancel.

  • kaynotrealname
    kaynotrealname Member Posts: 438

    You can support transwomen and not throw cis women under the bus. It's easy. Most of us do it all the time in fact. It's also easy to not support transwomen and yet keep your mouth shut if your doctor's office obviously does. The lady in question is not being thrown under the bus for observing "biological reality". I observe things all the time. The thing is that I also know when to keep my mouth shut about things I observe because A. it's either none of my business or B. my opinion wouldn't be valued in the setting I was in. The lady in question is being throw under the bus (or more accurately facing consequences) because she didn't know when to keep her mouth shut and decided to be an overt bigot around people who didn't appreciate it.

  • mountainmia
    mountainmia Member Posts: 857

    It's not clear to me that the patient Barbera was harmed in any way by the clinic having a pride flag, or having an employee who may or may not have been transgender. IF any of that related to her care prior to being discharged as a patient, I can see why she might have had a valid complaint. But the linked article makes it sound like she was just pissy and rude, because she felt like her views on the subject were more important than anyone else's.

    And it turns out, even transpeople can get breast cancer. I for one am glad there are clinics that take their cancer care needs seriously.

  • kaynotrealname
    kaynotrealname Member Posts: 438
    edited August 2023

    Your last comment is no longer discussing the article in question and instead seems to be trolling.

    (NOTE: We deleted the comment you are referencing). The Mods

  • moderators
    moderators Posts: 8,586

    @wrenn and all. We'd like to remind you of a few things before this discussion gets out of hand.

    Our Values

    We are a community that treats all people with kindness and understanding. We ask that everyone using our discussion forums act with these values in mind: 

    Respect. The vulnerability of sharing our experiences brings us together and carries us through the most challenging times. The feelings and opinions of all people are honored and valued, even in disagreement.  

    Inclusivity. Breast cancer does not discriminate, and neither does Breastcancer.org. All people are welcome here, without judgment, and no one shall be turned away or discouraged from participating. 

    Empathy. Every person is worthy and deserving of understanding and compassion. People often arrive unfiltered and with raw emotions. Be mindful of how your words and actions will be received by others.

    In addition, as an organization we are consistently publishing information to include all genders/non-binary associations. You can educate yourself in many of our recent posts on our site here:

    For more support for our LGBTQ+ folx, please visit our forum: https://community.breastcancer.org/en/categories/lgbtqa-with-breast-cancer

    If anyone has any question as to whether our organization is less than inclusive, we invite you to reach out via PM and we'll be happy to address your concerns.

    In addition, we'd like to remind you that we reserve the right to ban/delete any content or member that does not follow our guidelines and will do so as necessary.

    —The Mods

  • moderators
    moderators Posts: 8,586

    @wrenn We were responding to the above.

    Noting also that the posts made here that broke our rules have been removed and member warned. We do NOT tolerate this type of bias.

  • sampy661
    sampy661 Member Posts: 36

    Apologies if I’ve caused hurt feelings. I have a tendency to be triggered by the blatant injustices I see due to an ideology based on fantasy, gender ideology. I only wished to share the stories of two women, in need of medical attention, who were treated poorly and discarded by the medical profession because of their belief that sex is binary. I’ll refrain from commenting any further about this issue, I don’t wish to cause pain the lives of women who may be struggling with their own identity and breast cancer issues. I hope you are all receiving the best care possible.

  • moderators
    moderators Posts: 8,586
    edited August 2023

    All,

    The posts that have violated our rules of conduct have been deleted and the member has been warned.

    Thank you for keeping a peaceful environment.

    —The Mods

  • rain88
    rain88 Member Posts: 161
    edited August 2023

    Hmm ... My thinking: Here is a breast cancer pacient - like all of us, if I may - who, seemingly, was under the care of a medical team for 12 years... (I can"t help, but wonder, how many of us have changed our MOs, BSs or med institutions altogether in just what?... weeks, months, let alone years!?) So, that one medical team, one would argue, must have been doing a pretty decent job, since the patient remained with them all this time! (12 years is really a long time, even more so in Cancerland!) So, my thinking is that for the medical team to take such a drastic decision after such a little ng time of providing medical care to the patient, there must have been a lot more going on than what we can gleem from the article. (I, for once, cannot figure how someone would know someone else is transgender from a phone conversation... And even that being possible, why should it matter at all?)

  • laughinggull
    laughinggull Member Posts: 522
    edited August 2023

    According to the news clip, and according to their own website, the clinic in question is a primary care clinic, not a breast cancer center, and the discharged patient had serious mental health problems. This thread and story have nothing to do with breast cancer.
    @sampy661, why are you subjecting this community to these rants about trans people? Clearly not out of concern for breast cancer patients. Maybe find another place for these rants? Or even better, seek mental health care, or spiritual help? Looks like you lack peace of mind. Your spite and obsession suggests that you, rather than trans people in Portland, Oregon (which is not even in your country) have a concerning issue. Doesn’t sound like you can think clearly about this topic or contribute to rational and compassionate discussion. And in any case, this is not the forum for it.

  • mountainmia
    mountainmia Member Posts: 857

    @moderators stop targeting wrenn. It's not appropriate.

  • recoveringbelle
    recoveringbelle Member Posts: 23

    Thanks OP for letting us know. I see that your profile doesn't accept direct messages, but please DM me if you'd like.

    This topic is relevant if we're talking about breast cancer patients receiving equal access to healthcare. I follow the LGB movement very carefully—particularly the British members, like transwoman Debbie Hayton (who has an article in this last week's Unherd, and two BIPOC lesbian founders of LGB Alliance, one of whom was a Stonewall co-founder. It is not "hateful" or "transphobic" to be concerned about protecting gay and lesbian teens from lifelong pharmaceutical and/or surgical harm in overidentifying with changing their gender, or to take issue with the shaming of same-sex attracted people as bigots when we've only recently won basic civil rights. There are thousands of these cases, though they're not covered in mainstream media.

    I don't think a doctors' clinic would ban a conservative Muslim woman patient who opposes transgender activism, so why is it okay to ban a patient who questions it but isn't? If she's obnoxious to other patients, yes, though I'd hope she'd get mental health intervention. But healthcare professionals are familiar with treating patients they don't like and whose views they disagree with—it's part of the Hippocratic Oath. Now, if their other patients are endangered, that's another matter. It seems to me you were raising this issue in the hopes of civil debate, not polarized shaming.

    This is a complex issue and this wonderful forum has seemed to me to be better than falling into easy, rigid stereotypes. As long as we are civil and raise questions based on evidence, I do not see that any speech here is "hateful." Thanks Mods again for providing such a helpful, safe forum in which patients from all over the world can help each other.