(HONG KONG) — Violent clashes erupted between workers and hazmat-suited police officers at China’s so-called “iPhone city,” where about half of Apple’s smartphones are assembled.
Accounts on Chinese social media point to a combination of strict “zero-COVID” measures, a brewing labor dispute and the pressure for factory workers to deliver ahead of a busy holiday season that caused frustration among employees at the manufacturing plant in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou.
Videos that appear to show hundreds of angry workers throwing sticks and bricks at security forces and then officers subduing and beating protestors popped up on Chinese social media Tuesday night into Wednesday as quickly as Chinese government censors raced to delete them.
The enormous factory complex is operated by Foxconn, the Taiwanese company that is the world’s largest technology manufacturer.
COVID-19 infections across China are nearing record levels this week, testing Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s signature “zero-COVID” strategy — a program that seeks to track and eliminate every new COVID case — as well as the slowing Chinese economy.
In late October, tens of thousands of Foxconn workers walked off the job at the same factory fearing a COVID lockdown after widespread claims that the city of Zhengzhou had mismanaged a COVID-19 outbreak. This led to Apple issuing a statement earlier this month that shipments of its latest lineup of iPhones will be “temporarily impacted” by COVID restrictions in China.
In an effort to keep remaining workers to stay on, the local government and Foxconn offered generous incentives and started an aggressive recruitment drive for new workers willing to move to the Zhengzhou campus.
Recruitment ads circulating on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, touted a 6,000 to 10,000 Yuan (roughly $840 to $1400) signing bonus. Those ads began being censored late in the day Wednesday.
Last week, an executive at the Foxconn campus told the Chinese business outlet Yicai that they had successfully recruited more than 100,000 new workers who began arriving from around China last weekend.
Video on TikTok-like app Kuaishou said the workers who arrived over the weekend having to first quarantine at an isolation facility for four days.
When the new crop of workers emerged out of quarantine, many started to accuse Foxconn on social media of changing the terms of their contract and withholding the incentive bonus until they work through May of next year.
Foxconn in a statement to ABC News acknowledged the “violence” at the plant and said “on the evening of November 22, some new hires to the Zhengzhou Park campus appealed to the company regarding the work allowance, which they had doubts about.”
The statement added, “[Foxconn] has emphasized that the allowance has always been fulfilled based on contractual obligation.”
Foxconn also highlighted “speculation” among the new recruits that they would be sharing dorms with COVID positive employees, calling it “untrue.”
The new employees will only be allowed in once a government inspection clears the facility, the company said.
Foxconn said that they “will continue to communicate with employees and the government to prevent similar incidents from happening again.”
(WASHIGTON) — The National Institutes of Health has launched a website MakeMyTestCount.org which allows people to anonymously report the results of any brand of at-home COVID-19 test.
The website is a collaboration between the NIH and a healthcare technology company, CareEvolution.
Data collected is anonymous and sent to public health systems that receive test results from laboratories and doctor’s offices. Users provide general information such as age and zip code and have the option to include race, ethnicity, sex, and symptoms, but it is not required.
Given the rise of at-home tests, accurately tracking the number of COVID-19 cases has become increasingly difficult. This new website may help provide scientists with a clearer picture of how many people are testing positive and may not require medical care which would normally alert public health systems of the positive test. More accurate data may allow public health departments to modify responses to address outbreaks and spread.
A study done in March suggested at-home test use varies by demographics. COVID at-home test use was highest among persons who identified as white, adults aged 30–39 years, those with annual household incomes of $150,000, and those with postgraduate degrees.
(TALLAHASSEE, FL) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appears to be eying a run for the presidency in 2024, cruised to reelection this month with the backing of a Rolodex of wealthy GOP donors — topped by an aerospace mogul who says that UFOs are real and that space aliens are here on Earth, “right under people’s noses.”
Robert Bigelow, a Las Vegas hotel executive who went on to found Bigelow Aerospace with the goal of building the first commercial space station, donated a record $10 million to a political action committee supporting DeSantis’ reelection campaign in what was the state’s single largest political donation ever made by an individual, according to campaign filings.
The donation, which was Bigelow’s first major contribution to a Florida candidate, made him DeSantis’ single biggest individual benefactor over the last two years.
After making relatively modest political donations in prior years, Bigelow ramped up his donations in 2022, writing six- to seven-figure checks to a variety of Republican causes across the country, including donating a combined $8 million to a super PAC supporting Nevada Republicans running for Congress, and giving $2 million to the GOP-aligned super PAC Club for Growth Action.
Although he made no contributions during the last election cycle to former President Donald Trump or Trump’s other fundraising vehicles, Bigelow gave contributions to a super PAC supporting Trump-endorsed Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker, and a PAC connected to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
Bigelow, who has been a vocal advocate in the search for extraterrestrial life, told CBS’ 60 Minutes in 2017 that he is “absolutely convinced” that aliens exist and that “there has been, and is, an existing presence” of UFOs.
“I spent millions and millions and millions — I probably spent more as an individual than anybody else in the United States has ever spent on this subject,” Bigelow told 60 Minutes. His company was part of a multimillion-dollar Pentagon program that investigated UFO sightings, according to The New York Times, which said the program reported no conclusions about the origin of unidentified objects.
His record contribution to DeSantis puts Bigelow on a long list of wealthy supporters who could support the Florida governor if he and Trump face off in the 2024 presidential primary. GOP megadonors who have already endorsed DeSantis for 2024 include billionaire financier Ken Griffin, who after Election Day this month told Politico, “I think it’s time to move on to the next generation.”
Griffin, who was the GOP’s biggest donor at the federal level during the 2022 election cycle, previously gave $100,000 to Trump’s 2016 inaugural committee and has continued to donate to the Republican National Committee, which been closely aligned with Trump.
But Griffin was the second largest individual donor, after Bigelow, to a pro-DeSantis PAC, donating $5 million early in the election cycle. He later gave another $5 million to the Republican Party of Florida, which was a major supporter of DeSantis’ campaign.
Other big-name Trump supporters who became major DeSantis supporters this past cycle include financier Walter Buckley Jr., who donated $1.3 million to DeSantis’ PAC; Home Depot cofounder Bernard Marcus, who donated $500,000; and shipping executive Richard Uihlein, who, together with his wife, donated a combined $1 million, according to filings.
The longtime conservative PAC Club for Growth also contributed $2 million to DeSantis’ PAC this past cycle.
Of note, Florida supermarket heiress Julie Fancelli — a major Trump donor who reportedly helped fund the Jan. 6 rally on the Ellipse — also supported DeSantis in recent years, giving a total of roughly $59,000 to his PAC in 2018 and 2019.
Buoyed by support like this, allies of DeSantis last week registered a new super PAC dubbed “Ron to the Rescue” to back his potential presidential run. The organization has already launched its first round of digital ad campaigns and this week is launching its first television ads in Iowa, only a week after Trump announced last Tuesday that he was running again in 2024.
“Right after last Tuesday, my phone was exploding with supporters urging us to move forward again and get the governor’s back,” said California-based GOP operative John Thomas, who had been working on and off to organize the super PAC over the last year.
“The only way we saw Gov. DeSantis having a meaningful path against Trump or to the nomination was if the Republicans didn’t win the majorities in the midterms and Trump-backed candidates dramatically underperformed,” Thomas said. “Not only is that exactly what ended up happening, but on the flip side, Gov. DeSantis not only got reelected but he created his own self-made red tsunami in Florida, turning it from a swing state to a red state.”
Thomas said backers of the new super PAC include “some former Donald Trump donors” as well as “traditional DeSantis supporters.” He said a “prominent law enforcement union” is also “financially supporting” the super PAC and endorsing DeSantis.
(WASHINGTON) — The number of abortions performed in the U.S. decline in 2020, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The annual report, published Wednesday by the CDC, looks at how common abortion is in the United States and who is getting the procedure.
In total, 620,327 abortions were reported during 2020, a 2% decline from 2019. This data includes every state aside from California, Maryland and New Hampshire.
The rate of abortions also declined to 11.2 per 1,000 women between ages 15 and 44 in 2020, a drop from 11.4 per 1,000 the year before.
Women in their 20s accounted for more than half of all abortions in 2020 at 57.2%. Specifically, women between ages 25 and 29 made up 29.3% and women between ages 20 and 24 made up 27.9% of those who had an abortion.
In addition, of all women who had abortions that year, 86.3% were unmarried and 60.9% already had at least one child, according to the report.
Comparatively, teenagers under age 15 and women aged 40 or older accounted for the fewest abortions in 2020 at 0.2% and 3.7%, respectively.
When looking at abortions in the U.S. by race and ethnicity, large disparities could be seen.
Although white women and Black women each accounted for the highest number of abortions in 2020 — making up about one-third each — the rates were dramatically different.
Black women had an abortion rate nearly four times higher than that of white women at 24 abortions per 1,000 Black women compared to 6.2 abortions per 1,000 white women.
Additionally, while Hispanic women made up a smaller share of the abortions performed in 2020 at 21%, the abortion rate was 1.8 times that of white women at 11.4 abortions per 1,000 Hispanic women.
According to the CDC, reasons for these disparities include unequal access to family planning services, poverty and mistrust of the medical system.
The report also examined how far along women were when they received abortions. The overwhelming majority of abortions in 2020, 80.9%, were performed at or before nine weeks’ gestation. In 2020, 93.1% of abortions were performed before the second trimester.
About half of all abortions, 51%, were medical abortions in 2020 followed by surgical abortions at or before 13 weeks at 40%.
Additionally, the report discussed abortion trends from 2011 to 2020. Data showed the total number of abortions declined by 15% and the rate per 1,000 women decreased by 18% — with that rate decline seen across all age groups.
Particularly, the decrease in abortion rate was highest among adolescents aged 15 to 19, dropping by 48% between 2011 and 2020.
The authors did not state whether the drop in 2020 occurred because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions nor did they discuss what may be seen after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade — which guaranteed the constitutional right to an abortion — this summer.
However, they did write that abortion surveillance is “to help evaluate programs aimed at promoting equitable access to patient-centered contraceptive care in the United States to reduce unintended pregnancies.”
(MARBLE FALLS, CA) — Marble Falls High School announced its plans this week to investigate reports of alleged racist behavior by student spectators at a girls basketball tournament on Friday.
The incident at the Texas school, which was captured on camera, depicts several students shouting monkey noises as East Central High School senior Asia Prudhomme, who is Black, was shooting free throws. Marble Falls High School’s student body is almost 50 percent white and only 1.5% Black.
“I’ve always been taught not to pay attention to the stands, so I wasn’t really paying attention to them,” Prudhomme, who successfully sank her free throw, told ABC News. “I was just focused on making my free throws and getting my team back into the game.”
After watching the video of the incident, however, Prudhomme said she was shocked.
“I’ve never had this happen to me,” she said. “I was heartbroken. In my head, I was just thinking why would anybody do this. It’s 2022.”
Marble Falls High School Principal Damon Adams said in a statement that administrators are reviewing video footage and will interview students and spectators who attended the game to ensure a thorough investigation.
He said the school takes the allegations of racism seriously and will “hold students accountable for any behaviors that violate our expectations.”
“As campus principal, I regret that any player or guest in attendance at our tournament experienced anything from our student body that made them feel uncomfortable or devalued,” he said. “I am saddened that the behaviors of a very small number of students could tarnish the impression that others have of the incredible group of kids who make up our student body.”
Marble Falls Independent School District also said in a statement that it will continue to work with administration at East Central High School to fully investigate the incident.
“Marble Falls ISD does not condone any form of discrimination, and we would like players at East Central to know they have our full support,” the statement reads.
Prudhomme said she is asking for a “sincere public apology” from the students who made the noises. Her mother Pamela Prudhomme added that she would also like to see the students suspended.
In September, Katy Independent School District, also in Texas, launched an investigation into reports of spectators making monkey sounds at Patricia E. Paetow High School’s junior varsity volleyball team, made up of predominantly Black and Hispanic girls, during their game against Jordan High School.
Prudhomme, who hopes to play basketball in college and eventually make it to the WNBA, said she is grateful for the support she has received from her coaches, teammates and fans.
“I have a lot of love at my school,” she said. “It’s really building me up to become a stronger person.”
(WASHINGTON) — Measles is an “imminent threat” around the world, according to a new joint report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
Despite a two-dose vaccine that is more than 97% effective at preventing infection being available for decades, gains made at beating back the potentially dangerous childhood disease have been lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report found that in 2021, nearly 40 million children — a record-high — missed a dose of the measles vaccine. Specifically, 25 million missed their first dose and 14.7 million missed their second dose.
“The paradox of the pandemic is that while vaccines against COVID-19 were developed in record time and deployed in the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine immunization programs were badly disrupted, and millions of kids missed out on life-saving vaccinations against deadly diseases like measles,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in a statement.
“Getting immunization programs back on track is absolutely critical. Behind every statistic in this report is a child at risk of a preventable disease,” the statement continued.
To prevent the disease from spreading and to achieve herd immunity, the CDC and WHO say at least 95% of children need to receive the vaccine.
However, just 81% of children globally have received the first dose and 71% have received the second dose, the lowest coverage worldwide seen since 2008.
Consequently, there were 9 million cases of measles and 128,000 deaths around the world with at least 22 countries experiencing “large and disruptive outbreaks.”
“The record number of children under-immunized and susceptible to measles shows the profound damage immunization systems have sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “Measles outbreaks illustrate weaknesses in immunization programs, but public health officials can use outbreak response to identify communities at risk, understand causes of under- vaccination, and help deliver locally tailored solutions to ensure vaccinations are available to all.”
(New York) — Donald Trump reported nearly $1 billion in operating losses over a two-year period about a decade ago, an accountant testified at the criminal trial of the Trump Organization, spilling into public tax information that the former president has tried repeatedly to keep private.
The accountant, Donald Bender, a partner at Mazars USA, the firm that prepared tax returns for Trump and his company, testified Tuesday that Trump reported losses each year for 10 years from 2009 to 2018.
“There are losses for all these years,” Bender said.
The disclosure at the Manhattan trial of Trump’s family business came the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the IRS is required to turn over six years’ worth of Trump’s tax information to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger questioned Bender about Trump’s taxes during cross-examination as the trial nears an end. The Manhattan district attorney fought for nearly three years to obtain the records, including two appearances before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Hoffinger asked Bender about Trump’s losses in 2009 and 2010, when the company lost nearly $1 billion.
“Do you recall in 2010 Donald Trump had losses of almost $200 million on his personal tax returns?” Hoffinger asked.
“I believe so,” Bender said after examining the records.
“Do you recall in 2009, Donald Trump had, his personal tax returns had losses around $700 million?” Hoffinger followed.
“Sounds about right,” Bender replied.
The staggering losses belie the reputation Trump has carefully tried to cultivate as a shrewd and successful businessman. That image helped carry him to the White House once, with Trump hoping it will again as he now embarks on a new run for president.
The numbers largely mirrored a report in The New York Times in September 2020 when they acquired select portions of Trump’s tax returns.
Trump is not a defendant in the case and the line of questioning had no obvious connection to the tax scheme the Trump Organization is charged with carrying out over a 12-year period when former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg and other executives were allegedly paid off the books with perks like rent, car leases and private school tuition.
Weisselberg, who has pleaded guilty and testified pursuant to a plea agreement with prosecutors, has aided the defense by saying he hatched the scheme out of his own greed and Trump was unaware. He also testified that the scheme helped the Trump Organization reduce its payroll taxes, assisting the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office prove there was a benefit to the company.
Bender was the first witness called by the defense, which has suggested it was his responsibility to alert the Trump Organization to any fraud but didn’t in order to keep a lucrative client happy.
“Fair to say the Trump account represented roughly two-thirds of the revenue you brought into Mazars?” asked defense attorney Bob Brennan.
“Closer to 60 [percent],” Bender replied.
“But it was your largest account?” Brennan asked. “Yes sir,” Bender said.
Prosecutors showed the jury a letter from Mazars that said the firm’s work for the Trump Organization “does not include any procedures designed to detect errors, irregularities, or illegal acts, including fraud or defalcations, should any exist.”
Bender appeared to help the prosecution when he testified that Weisselberg never told him the company was paying his rent and other personal expenses tax-free.
“At any time before the year 2021, did you actually know that The Trump Corporation and Donald Trump were paying these personal expenses as part of Allen Weisselberg’s compensation and not reporting them to the tax authorities?” Hoffinger asked.
“No, ma’am,” Bender answered.
“If you had known all of that at that time, what would you and Mazars have done?” Hoffinger asked.
“We would have had a serious conversation about continuing with the client,” Bender responded.
(New York) — Former Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll will file a new lawsuit against former President Donald Trump on Thanksgiving, the first day of New York’s new Adult Survivors Act that allows adult victims of sexual assault to file civil lawsuits that would otherwise be barred due to the passage of too much time, her attorneys said during a court hearing Tuesday.
Carroll is already suing Trump for defamation in federal court after he denied her claim that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, saying she was “not my type.” The new lawsuit, also being filed in federal court, will include a new allegation of defamation and an allegation of battery.
Attorneys for Carroll asked the federal judge presiding over the original case to delay a trial date to account for the new lawsuit, but the judge declined.
“The second action is technically not before me today,” Judge Lewis Kaplan said.
An attorney for Trump, Alina Habba, told the judge she didn’t know if she would be representing Trump in the new suit.
“The complaint has not been filed. I have not been retained,” Habba told the judge. “I don’t know whether I’ll be retained on that matter.”
“Your client has known this is coming for months and he would be well advised to know who is representing him in it,” Judge Kaplan replied.
Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said she asked Trump about the second alleged incident of defamation during a recent deposition.
Whether Carroll’s initial lawsuit can even proceed hinges on the outcome of a legal question before a different court.
Trump has argued the Justice Department should be substituted as the defendant in the case because as president, he was an employee of the federal government, which cannot be sued for defamation.
In September the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump was indeed a government employee under the terms of the Westfall Act, which shields federal employees from personal liability — but it left to the D.C. Court of Appeals to determine whether Trump’s denials fell within the scope of his employment.
The Court of Appeals, which retains jurisdiction over the conduct of federal government employees, has scheduled oral arguments for January to decide whether Trump was acting in his official capacity as president when he denied Carroll’s rape claim and allegedly defamed her.
If the court decides in Trump’s favor, any defamation suit would be void.
(Los Angeles) — Two couples have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and they’re sharing their stories to encourage others to consider giving the gift of organ donation.
Christine “Chris” Morales and Debbie Thompson have been best friends since they were kids. The two grew up together in California and remained close even after they both married.
“We got married a year apart; we got engaged a year apart,” Chris Morales said. “We’ve just done everything together.”
But for years, Chris Morales was keeping a secret, even from her best friend.
In 2015, Morales couldn’t keep the secret anymore and finally decided to tell Thompson that she had a genetic disorder called polycystic kidney disease, which had been damaging her kidneys over time, and needed a new kidney.
When Thompson found out about her best friend’s health issues, she quickly knew what she wanted to do to help.
“I said, ‘Well, you can have mine!'” Thompson recalled. “I didn’t even know what the process was.”
Thompson underwent medical testing and learned she and Morales were a blood type match. After six months, Thompson was cleared to donate her kidney to her best friend. The surgery was a success and Thompson said if she had to do it all over again, she would.
“She calls the kidney little Deb!” Thompson said. “She always says little Deb is doin’ good.”
Then, two years ago, the unthinkable happened again. Morales’ husband, Ron Morales, who has Type 2 diabetes, learned he would also need a kidney transplant.
Even though Ron Morales kept his health struggles a secret initially, Debbie and her husband, Brad Thompson, would later find out and Brad Thompson didn’t hesitate when he gave Ron Morales a call.
“He called me up over the phone and said, ‘Hey, I hear you need some extra body parts,'” Ron Morales recalled.
The two then followed in their wives’ footsteps and went through their own successful surgeries together.
But there were at least a couple of things that weren’t exactly the same. Since the two men weren’t a blood type match, Ron Morales needed to get blood transfusions to prepare his immune system to not reject Brad Thompson’s kidney.
“I said, ‘You can’t call it little Brad, and you can’t bring me flowers on the anniversary like Chris does,'” Brad Thompson joked.
According to the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing, nearly 25,000 Americans — a new record — received kidney transplants in 2021 alone.
Ron Morales’ transplant surgeon, Dr. Tsuyoshi Todo, remains in awe of the match between Ron and Brad.
“In the seven or so years I have been doing this, I have never seen anything like this. I think it’s very unique,” he said. “I am glad they were able to find each other.”
(NEW YORK) — Ky Schevers is fighting back against the anti-trans movement she once took part in.
Schevers was assigned the sex of female at birth and later chose to start gender-affirming care by taking testosterone to transition from female to male in her mid-20s. She stopped taking testosterone, though, in the years that followed while she continued to explore and question her gender, later falling into an online anti-trans group of “detransitioners” – people who once did but no longer identify as transgender.
Now, Schevers says she has “retransitioned,” identifying as transmasculine and gender queer, which means she identifies with both genders. Schevers uses she and her pronouns, but heavily identifies with masculinity, as defined by the LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center states.
She says she considers herself to be a part of the transgender community.
When Schevers initially stopped taking testosterone, she sought out advice and companionship in online forums about detransitioning. In this virtual community is where she began to adopt anti-trans beliefs that misogyny and a patriarchal society caused her to initially transition from female to male. In blog posts, YouTube videos, interviews and workshops, she spread and promoted these beliefs. These posts became a popular tool for anti-trans activists looking to discredit the trans community in the name of feminism.
A 50-year study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior performed in Sweden estimated that less than 3% of people who medically transitioned experienced “transition regret.” Other studies have estimated similar results, some citing even lower figures.
Despite this low percentage, these individuals have become a focal point of anti-transgender legislation and activism.
More than 300 proposed bills across the country have targeted LGBTQ Americans in the last year, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Health care for trans youth in particular has become the target of such efforts.
Before the ages of 16-18, youth are treated with reversible treatments based on guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Irreversible medical interventions, such as surgeries, are typically only done with consenting adults, or older teens who have worked through the decision with their families and physicians over a long period of time, physicians across the country have told ABC News.
Despite these common practices, officials in many states have launched efforts to crack down on gender-affirming care for minors. Some legislators have cited disputed research on this topic, stating that the majority of gender dysphoric youth will grow out of their dysphoria. The methodology in these studies has been highly critiqued.
Major medical associations support gender-affirming care for youth and adults. Transgender youth tend to have high rates of suicide, but those who transition often experience significantly reduced psychological distress.
A recent large study from Harvard found that gender-affirming surgery was associated with improved mental health outcomes in those who are transgender.
Another recent large study from Harvard found that even among those who do go on to detransition, it is often due to external pressures such as stigma and non-acceptance in their environments, rather than a sudden resolution of gender dysphoria.
But that’s where “detransitioners” come in. Detransitioned activists have often testified in public hearings on policies concerning the transgender community.
“I was 30 and at the end of my rope when I transitioned … If I made this mistake as an adult, a young girl could too,” said one detransitioned speaker at the Oct. 28 Florida medical board hearing concerning a ban on gender affirming health care for youth. “Not only did my surgery exacerbate my mental health issues, I now struggle with physical complications as well.”
Another speaker at the hearing, who said she started gender-affirming treatments at the age of 16 and regrets it, spoke about struggling with her mental health while transitioning. She urged the board to ban hormones for people under 18 and surgeries for people under 21. “In 2019, I had a life-changing encounter with Jesus and began to find deep healing within myself. After nearly 4 years of being on testosterone, I decided to detransition and accept my womanhood,” she said.
The Florida Medical Board later passed a ban on gender-affirming care for youth. The decision would prohibit providers from administering gender affirming care, including puberty blockers, hormones, cross-hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery for people under the age of 18.
“I never liked people who call transitioning mutilation or call trans bodies mutilated…A lot of them called trans people delusional,” Schevers said. “Living as a trans person was something that people did to survive and actually, I didn’t think of it as crazy or irrational because I had lived that life.”
She continued, “I get why someone would do this. Like, it did help me. I did get satisfaction from transitioning and I had to rationalize that experience and make it fit with this anti-trans ideology.”
Schevers said cracks began to show in her beliefs as more of the detransitioners and other activists she worked with began to partner with far-right groups like the Proud Boys on an anti-trans platform.
“That was kind of a huge wake-up call,” said Schevers. “It didn’t make sense to ally with the people who were creating the oppressive conditions.”
Her use of the hormone testosterone helped her embrace her gender queer identity, she now says.
When Schevers sees or hears anti-transgender detransitioners speak about their experiences, she thinks of her past self. She says she feels guilty, like she set the stage for them.
Schevers says she wants people to turn their attention to the dangers of anti-trans outreach to youth as well as the ongoing legislative attacks on trans Americans.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton also launched an effort to investigate gender-affirming youth care treatments as “child abuse” through the state department of child protective services. A state judge later issued a temporary injunction blocking the effort.
An Alabama law made it illegal to give any type of gender affirming care to anyone under the age of 18. This would criminalize parents and physicians.
Joseph Ladapo, Florida’s surgeon general, released a memo in June saying treatments like sex-reassignment surgery, and hormone and puberty blockers are not effective treatments for gender dysphoria.
These organizations say that research does show that the aforementioned gender-affirming treatments are safe and effective. Some, like the American Medical Association, even deem it “medically necessary.”
Gender exploration is an ongoing journey for Schevers, and she hopes the trans and gender queer youth in the U.S. continue to be able to access a journey of their own.
“I do feel more firmly rooted in who I am. It’s easier for me to accept myself as someone who has, like, multiple genders,” Schevers said.
