Internal revolt within the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as surgeons oppose bans on trans surgeries for minors

The ASPS position towards banning care for minors does not reflect the evidence available to ASPS members.

By Jane Migliara Brigham & Artemis T. Douglas

A number of doctors within the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) have signed an open letter opposing the organization’s recent decision to oppose trans surgeries for minors.

This comes a week after the ASPS released a policy statement opposing trans-related surgeries for those under 19, and called on its members to cease performing such surgeries.  

The ASPS policy statement cited several dubious anti-trans studies to make its case, such as the infamous Cass Review  and the HHS Report. The policies promoted in the statement are written to be in line with the Trump Administration’s policies regarding trans healthcare, and uses similar language to that used by the administration.

The open letter against these policies was signed by 7 doctors, all of whom are ASPS members as well as prominent names in the field of trans-related surgery. 

Note: You can read the whole letter at the end of this article or click here to pull it up.

Their names are: Jens Berli, Rachel Bluebond-Langner, Scott Leibowitz, Steven Montante, Melissa Poh, Asa Radix, & Loren Schechter.

The letter alleges that the task force being convened by the ASPS to discuss trans surgeries for minors was merely for show, and that the policy statement which was ultimately released was drafted with no oversight from the task force.

"Following the release of the ASPS position statement, Task Force members became aware that Dr. Glasberg and two ASPS administrators (who attend Task Force meetings) participated in discussions with a federal agency. The Task Force members were told that Dr. Glasberg did not represent ASPS at this meeting, but rather attended the meeting as an invited guest on behalf of the agency. In other words, no ASPS surgeon represented the organization."

It also alleges that the policy statement which was released was made in consultation with either the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or another federal agency. 

"As reported by NBC, Dr. Scot Glasberg, Co-Chair of the Task Force, was involved in drafting the statement. Dr. Glasberg is quoted on CNN Health stating: “This was an iterative process that took time,with no outside pressure.” During the February 3, 2026 Task Force meeting, the Task Force learned that drafting of the statement began in 2024 (well before the initial meeting of the Task Force). 

This stands in stark contrast to a communication sent to the Task Force by Michael Costelloe, Executive Vice President of ASPS, on February 2, 2026 stating: “Over the past several weeks, ASPS, along with a small number of other national medical societies, has been participating in an urgent, time-limited process initiated by a federal agency seeking clarification of medical society positions on this topic."

In other words, the letter alleges that the policy position which was released was the result of pressure from the Trump Administration, and does not reflect the evidence available or the positions of the ASPS membership at large.

It is notable that quickly on the same day the ASPS published their new position, the HHS had a full press release praising the ASPS for the decision, including quotes from Secretary Kennedy, CMS Administrator Oz, HHS General Counsel Mike Stuart, and HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill.

On the same day, the City Journal, run by the “free market think tank” Manhattan Institute, also released a statement claiming the ASPS had “come out unequivocally against” transition surgery for minors. 

The City Journal’s press release also used inflammatory language aligned with the positions and rhetoric of the HHS under Trump’s second administration, using the existence of detransitioners as a cudgel against trans bodily autonomy.

In summary, as claimed by the ASPS Gender Surgery Task Force members, the ASPS position paper that was released on Feb. 3 is not a reflection of clinical or evidentiary best practice, but rather the political maneuvering between one ASPS leader and the federal government.

The full open letter by the ASPS members on the Gender Surgery Task Force can be viewed below.