A top Wyoming doctor has been removed from the state’s medical board after publicly speaking out in favor of a ban on transgender surgeries for children.
Dr. Eric Cubin, the son of a former congressman and a prominent radiologist in the city of Casper, was removed from the board last month by Republican Gov. Mark Gordon after he urged state lawmakers to support the ban.
The move was sparked by an email the doctor sent to all 62 members of the Wyoming Legislature in February, where he lobbied for them to support the bill banning gender reassignment in children.
The legislation would ban Wyoming doctors from proving transgender surgeries and treatments on minors, and would give the medical board the power to revoke a doctor’s license if they provide “gender-affirming care” to children.
Although the bill was ultimately approved and signed by Gordon weeks after Cubin’s email, the governor forced his resignation in April because his public comments could create a conflict of interest as a member of the board.
Dr. Eric Cubin, the son of a former congressman and prominent radiologist in the town of Casper, Wyoming, was removed from the state medical board because of his outspoken opposition to transgender surgeries and treatments for minors.
The issue of providing transgender care for minors has become a hot topic in recent years, with experts warning it could have irreversible consequences and former patients saying they found themselves in critical care at too young an age.
The bill Cubin lobbied for was commonly known as “Chloe’s Law,” after transgender activist Chloe Cole, who spoke out about the painful de-transitioning process she went through.
Cole said she was forced to take puberty blockers and undergo surgeries from the age of 13, an age she said was too young to make “irreversible” decisions.
But Cubin’s support for a bill preventing such decisions in Wyoming was cited by Gov. Gordon, a Republican, in a letter obtained by Cowboy stands dailyin which he specifically expressed his public show of support in the email to lawmakers.
The radiologist countered that he was removed for standing up for what he believes in, and claims to have surveyed 27 Casper doctors and found that the majority agreed with banning transgender surgeries for minors.
“At the end of the day, I stood up for my principles, I stood up for what’s right, and I stood up for the children of the state of Wyoming,” he told Cowboy State Daily.
“Because I did that, I was removed from the board.”
He emphasized to the newspaper that his views on anti-transgender surgery focus entirely on the care of minors, stating that such treatments have not been fully tested for safety in children.
Gordon has angered some conservatives with his moderate views when he was governor, and when he signed the bill, he argued that “the government is interfering in the personal affairs of families.”
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon removed Cubin from the medical board over his email to lawmakers, arguing he could potentially create a conflict of interest
Cubin is a leading radiologist at the Casper Medical Imaging and Outpatient Radiology Clinic (pictured) in Casper, Wyoming
Cubin, the son of former Wyoming Congresswoman Barbara Cubin, also reportedly shared emails speculating that transgenderism could be caused by social trends and result from mental illness.
“The evidence and medical data on gender-affirming care is everywhere,” Cubin reportedly wrote in an email.
“Unfortunately, much of the data on both sides is politically charged and it is difficult to decipher exactly what is true and what is not true.”
In Gordon’s letter dismissing Cubin from the board, he reportedly upheld the top doctor’s right to free speech but believed his outspoken support could create a conflict of interest in deciding other doctors’ cases.
Gordon argued that Wyoming physicians licensed by the board “might have a reason to be concerned that you might use your position to advocate a particular position” when confronted with questions.
“Medical professionals must be confident that their licensure, which is their livelihood, will be handled professionally and examined clinically only on merits,” Gordon wrote.
‘Even the appearance of bias can be disturbing and undermine confidence in the supposed impartiality of the administration.’
The bill Cubin lobbied for was commonly known as “Chloe’s Law,” after transgender activist Chloe Cole, who spoke out about the painful de-transitioning process she endured
Gordon also expressed concern that Cubin’s letter could be construed as representing the entire medical board, despite Cubin’s email to lawmakers making no mention of his membership on the board.
Cubin countered that he would have respected the law and remained impartial had he remained on the board, especially since the Legislature passed the transgender ban he lobbied for.
“Anyone who continues to provide these services in violation of the law will jeopardize their licensure,” he said.
“There is no conflict of interest because I would be enforcing the law.”