Agreement: I AgreeBody: Dear Editor, I appreciate The BMJ’s commitment to publishing debate on complex and contested areas of medicine, including gender medicine, and to maintaining its editorial independence in the face of calls for retraction. In this field especially, where different countries have adopted divergent treatment protocols and experts continue to grapple with evolving evidence, open and rigorous discussion is vital. The Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine (SEGM) shares this commitment. SEGM promotes evidence-based care guided by the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Our contributions have included systematic reviews, CME events, and international conferences — all designed to foster transparent and evidence-informed dialogue. I was therefore dismayed to see a recent Rapid Response dismiss SEGM as a “hate group” by citing the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). That designation is not an objective finding but a political opinion: in its own court filings, the SPLC has conceded that the “hate group” label is “highly debatable and ambiguous,” and “not capable of being empirically proven true or false.”(1) Moreover, the SPLC’s report offers no evidence that SEGM engages in name-calling, propaganda, or attacks on individuals. On the contrary, SEGM has consistently affirmed the right of all individuals to live free from harassment and discrimination. The important issues raised in gender medicine — rising rates of gender dysphoria, challenges in guideline development, and divergent international responses — deserve careful consideration on their own terms. Labels imported from political debates only distract from the central task: ensuring that young people receive safe, ethical, and evidence-based care. I thank The BMJ for continuing to provide a forum for that discussion. Sincerely, Julia Mason, MD SEGM Board Member (writing in a personal capacity) 1) https://ia803408.us.archive.org/35/items/gov.uscourts.almd.77784/gov.usc... No competing Interests: No competing interestsThe following competing Interests: I'm a board member of SEGM.Electronic Publication Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025 - 02:31AI use: No, I have not used AIHighwire Comment Subject: Medical journal editors must resist CDC order and anti-gender ideologyWorkflow State: ReleasedFull Title: Re: Medical journal editors must resist CDC order and anti-gender ideology Highwire Comment Response to: Medical journal editors must resist CDC order and anti-gender ideologyCheck this box if you would like your letter to appear anonymously:: Last Name: MasonFirst name and middle initial: Julia WEmail: juliam@calpeds.comAddress: 148 Blue Lakes Blvd North Twin Falls, Idaho 83301-5235Occupation: PediatricianAffiliation: SEGMBMJ: Additional Article Info: Rapid responseTwitter: @juliamasonmd1