PART TWO: Newly-elected GOP rep. claims ECU's child "gender" clinic isn't real. Yet, it is.

by: Sloan Rachmuth

House Speaker Tim Moore announced his picks for general assembly committees charged with identifying issues, considering legislation, and overseeing programs.

Since Pitt County representative Dr. Timothy Reeder now sits on committees that can influence whether or not legislation banning child sterilization and mutilation will go before the legislature this year, Education First has focused on him in recent articles.

Yesterday, we released part one of an interview we had with Dr. Reeder on the campaign trail in October. The then-candidate denied the existence of ECU Health's pediatric gender clinic for ages 4 and up before asking us to stop recording the conversation.

We kept recording. We believe the public should know what candidates have to say about the state’s most pressing issues during campaign stops held in public places, regardless of whether they think they aren't being recorded.

Here is part two of our interview:

Because Reeder’s signature issue during the campaign was healthcare, and because stopping doctors from abusing children with irreversible “gender” treatments is a top priority for voters, we pressed him for answers on how he would vote on youth gender treatment bans.

Reeder admits to being a long-time advocate for Medicaid expansion, but would not commit to supporting legislation that would stop taxpayer-funded child sex change treatments.

He and every member of the general assembly should be asked for a definitive answer as to how they will vote on the issue.

Reeder reiterated his stance on child sterilization: “we should not be giving irreversible puberty blockers to children.” However, holding personal values and driving public policy isn’t the same.

For example. Reeder is personally against abortion and giving children sex change treatments. However, he drives public policy that supports both of these positions by virtue of his leadership (not membership) roles with the American Medical Association (AMA), as the recent past president of the NC Medical Society, and as its current foundation president.

One would be hard-pressed to find a pro-life advocate agreeing with this policy:

The North Carolina Medical Society supports physicians not being required to notify the parent/guardian of a minor patient, without the minor patient’s consent, of a minor patient’s pregnancy or performance of any procedure to interrupt such a pregnancy; and be it further that the North Carolina Medical Society supports funding for abortions for the indigent.

In the interest of avoiding this kind of cognitive dissonance, many people choose to lead organizations that reflect their values.

Questions to ponder: Will Reeder risk being fired for voting against the interests of his employers at ECU with its new and profitable gender clinic? Will he risk getting canceled by the NC Medical Society Foundation where he serves as president?

Reeder’s interview responses gave no answers, but his denial of ECU's pediatric gender clinic gave us pause.

ECU CHILD GENDER CLINIC

In Reeder's opinion, instead of relying on patients' and ECU staff statements for our report, we should have consulted the school's press relations department.

According to him, we erred in our reporting, and ECU Health does not offer puberty blockers to children.

How does Reeder know?

The doctors in the ECU Pride clinic reportedly assured Reeder that our report, local news reports, ECU's faculty convocation speakers, and the ECU website were all inaccurate. And he believes them.

Meanwhile, we've received no request for a retraction from our original reporting in September.

That Reeder is viewed as a gifted physician who has spent decades in leadership is not in dispute. But the health of our children could be at stake if Rep. Reeder does not conduct fact-finding missions with greater rigor in his committee work at the general assembly.