Doctors from Harvard Medical School have expressed their concerns over the removal of their research articles from the Patient Safety Network (PSNet), a federal website. The government claims that the removed content promotes "gender ideology," citing terms like "LGBTQ" and "trans[gender]" as prohibited.
Among the articles taken down are “Endometriosis: A Common and Commonly Missed and Delayed Diagnosis,” co-authored by Dr. Celeste Royce, which mentioned transgender individuals in its diagnosis context, and “Multiple Missed Opportunities for Suicide Risk Assessment in Emergency and Primary Care Settings,” co-authored by Dr. Gordon Schiff, which highlighted risks within LGBTQ communities.
Dr. Celeste Royce stated, “Good doctors serve and advocate for their patients, whoever they are. We cannot uphold an oath to Do No Harm if our training and research are politicized.” Dr. Gordon Schiff added that such actions endanger public safety by censoring information critical to understanding health risks associated with marginalized groups.
The researchers are legally represented by organizations including the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the ACLU of Massachusetts. Scarlet Kim from ACLU emphasized that this act is "nothing short of an assault on science," arguing it violates First Amendment rights.
In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to remove content promoting gender ideology. This led to PSNet’s removal of certain articles following guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The site is operated by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Rachel Davidson from ACLU of Massachusetts criticized these actions as detrimental to scientific integrity and public health information needs. The legal suit filed claims First Amendment violations due to viewpoint-based restrictions on participation in a government forum open to private speakers.
Ben Menke from Yale Law School’s clinic noted that compulsory unification stifles opinion diversity in science, deeming recent administration rules against mentioning transgender individuals contrary to law and common sense.
The case has been filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts.
