Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) attacked transgender children this weekend, referring to them as “butchered children.” She also cited dubious statistics to make it seem like greedy doctors are forcing kids to transition for the money.
“The U.S. market for gender transition surgeries was appx $2 billion in 2021 and should grow to $5 billion by the decade’s end,” Boebert tweeted.
“That means $3 billion more in butchered children in the next 8 years. Let that sink in,” she wrote, making it more unclear whether her numbers are yearly or refer to a decade. “Still don’t think the left has an agenda? Follow the money.”
The U.S. market for gender transition surgeries was appx $2 billion in 2021 and should grow to $5 billion by the decade's end.
That means $3 billion more in butchered children in the next 8 years. Let that sink in.
Still don't think the left has an agenda? Follow the money.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) October 15, 2022
Boebert’s office told LGBTQ Nation that she was referring to a report from the India/U.S.-based marketing firm Grand View Research, which attempted to analyze possible market growth in the “sex reassignment surgery market.”
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The report overview used outdated wording like “sex reassignment surgery” and mixed up trans men and women several times.
The report, dubious as it is, doesn’t back Boebert’s claims. First, it was not about transgender children; it’s about the transgender population as a whole. Since trans minors can only rarely access some types of gender-affirming surgery, its numbers presumably refer mostly to transgender adults. In fact, the report even says that transgender men ages 25 to 34 are “more likely to undergo gender-affirming surgeries” than other age groups.
Moreover, Grand View Research cites insurance companies getting better about covering gender-affirming care, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic (they presume that transition procedures were down in 2021 because of pandemic measures), as well more trans people coming out as reasons to expect an 11.2% annual growth in this market sector. The report doesn’t say whether that’s 11.2% real or nominal growth, which means that inflation and rising healthcare costs could account for a large part of that.
The report does not mention a leftist agenda to make more people transition.
Boebert’s comments come as a poll shows her Democratic opponent Adam Frisch pulling ahead in the election. A Center Street PAC poll showed Frisch leading in Colorado’s Third Congressional District, 45% to 40%. Center Street PAC is a centrist organization.
#CO03 General Election:
Adam Frisch (D) 45% (+5)
Lauren Boebert (R-Inc) 40%@CenterStreetPAC/@MomentiveAI
(RV, 10/1-7)— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) October 13, 2022
Another poll from earlier this month showed Frisch and Boebert in a “statistical tie.” The poll, conducted from September 29 to October 2, found that 47% of likely voters in the district support Boebert while 45% support Frisch, well within the 4.4% margin of error in the Keating Research poll.
