The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published a new report that draws a connection between what it terms “gender ideology” and the rise of left-wing authoritarianism and political violence. The report has drawn immediate backlash from the scientific community, with various experts characterizing the study’s methodology as poor and its conclusions as politically driven rather than evidence-based.

This report arrives amid a broader shift in federal and state-level policy regarding gender-affirming care. The Guardian reports that the current administration has taken steps to restrict access to such treatments, citing a recent agreement between the Department of Justice and a New York hospital that resulted in the facility ceasing pediatric gender-affirming care services. According to the report, this is part of a wider trend, as dozens of other hospitals across the country have also discontinued these services following similar pressures or policy changes.

While the HHS report frames these ideological trends as a threat to democratic norms, critics argue that the document represents a dangerous politicization of public health and scientific research. The disagreement centers on whether the HHS is fulfilling its mandate to provide objective health guidance or if it is utilizing its platform to advance a specific political agenda regarding gender identity and medical care.