Challenges of Language Policing in Australian Journalism

Today I’m joined by Bernard Lane, an independent Australian journalist who covers the international debate over youth gender medicine. We discussed the state of gender clinics and laws in Australia, as well as the challenges faced by journalists in reporting on this topic.

We also discussed the influence of environment on youth vulnerability to gender ideology, the situation in California, and the current status of the Tavistock clinic in the UK. One of the key issues we explored was the impact of conversion therapy laws in Australia and their potential consequences. Bernard highlighted the extreme nature of these laws, which can result in a 10-year prison sentence for therapists and even parents who refuse to go along with medicalization. We questioned the logic behind these laws and the conflation of gender identity with sexual orientation, as well as the lack of media coverage on the negative implications of these laws.

Overall, this episode delves into the challenges faced by journalists in reporting on gender issues, the state of gender clinics and laws in Australia, and the potential consequences of conversion therapy laws. It raises important questions about the balance between affirming gender identity and the potential harm caused by medicalization, as well as the role of media in shaping public understanding of these issues.

Bernard Lane writes Gender Clinic News, covering the international debate over youth gender medicine. He has been a journalist for more than three decades, mostly with Australia’s national daily newspaper The Australian, where he has won awards for legal, higher education and foreign affairs reporting. 

Newsletter: https://www.genderclinicnews.com/

X: @Bernard_Lane

Books mentioned in this episode can be found via the Amazon affiliate links below or in my bookshop. Either way, your purchase supports the show.

• Time to Think by Hannah Barnes 
• Gender Dysphoria: A Therapeutic Model for Working with Children, Adolescents and Young Adults, by Marcus and Susan Evans 

Previous episodes mentioned: 

• Helen Joyce 
• Marcus Evans 
• Bob Withers 
• Carole Sherwood 
• James Esses 
• Jamie Reed
• Oliver Davies
• Dina McMillan

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

• Critical Therapy Antidote
• Thoughtful Therapists

00:00:00 Conversion therapy and gender nonconforming kids.

00:02:08 Gender clinics in Australia face scrutiny.

00:04:28 Language policing in journalism.

00:06:34 Australia's pacing of gender medicine.

00:12:07 Influence of environment on kids.

00:13:52 Screen-based youth culture influences.

00:14:51 Preventing children from going down the trans wormhole.

00:19:26 Child protection and gender-affirming care.

00:20:19 Medical practitioners pushing ideology.

00:26:23 Vulnerability of youth in care.

00:27:18 Concerns about gender treatment.

00:29:24 Therapist culture and gender distress.

00:34:39 Psychotherapy field captured by social justice ideology.

00:39:46 Therapy laws in Australia.

00:41:31 Extreme conversion therapy laws in Victoria.

00:43:02 Speech and 10-year prison sentence.

00:49:10 Parental authority and conversion practices laws.

00:49:58 Conversion therapy laws impact medical decisions.

00:52:31 The harm of gender non-conforming kids.

00:57:21 Journalism on gender issues lacks balanced reporting.

01:00:03 Guidelines impact journalistic reporting.

01:02:13 Partially upheld complaint.

01:08:59 Confused and inaccurate language.

01:11:30 Greater caution in pediatric transition.

01:16:42 Mixed signals on cautious treatment.

01:21:12 Length of stay in hospitals.

01:27:26 Transhumanism.

01:28:58 Encouraging news in gender medicine.

01:31:32 Transitioning and turning to religion.

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Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.

Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.

Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.

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