Environmental Progress — WPATH Files
Environmental Progress is an American think tank founded by writer Michael Shellenberger, originally best known for campaigns promoting nuclear power. On March 4, 2024, the organization published the so-called WPATH Files, accompanied by a report from journalist Mia Hughes.
What they contain
The WPATH Files consist of screenshots from an internal discussion forum of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health dating from 2021 to 2024, as well as a video of an internal panel discussion. According to the report, they show that members questioned whether minors can fully understand the consequences of treatment, an issue related to the debate over informed consent in medical care.
Background and criticism
Environmental Progress’s interpretation is controversial. The organization describes the material as medical malpractice; critics argue that the report presents the forum posts selectively and inaccurately. The documents are therefore best read as primary material accompanied by a strongly worded interpretation. More context is available under international developments.
Who is behind it
Michael Shellenberger is the founder and president of Environmental Progress. According to its website, the organization focuses on nuclear power, climate, and conservation, as well as homelessness, crime, and drug policy. It is a co-founder of the Stand Up for Nuclear campaign. Its mailing address is in Albany, California. The website states that since 2024, the organization has operated under the name Civilization Works. Gender-affirming care and medicine are not listed among the website’s areas of work.
The report
The report is titled in full The WPATH Files: Pseudoscientific surgical and hormonal experiments on children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults. Names have been redacted in the screenshots, except those of public figures. Among those named are WPATH president Marci Bowers and Canadian pediatric endocrinologist Daniel Metzger. Environmental Progress points to discussions about vaginoplasty for a fourteen-year-old and hormones for a thirteen-year-old with a developmental delay. The organization does not explain how the documents were obtained. It refers only to leaked files. Shellenberger concludes that gender medicine is neither science nor medicine.
WPATH’s response
The day after publication, Bowers responded on behalf of WPATH. She stated that the association has always relied on science and evidence and that its recommendations are widely endorsed by major organizations around the world. That criticism also comes from within the profession itself is shown by the report on the U.S. ACOG section president who resigned after criticizing the WPATH guidelines. Anyone using the files would do well to read the screenshots themselves and distinguish them from the commentary surrounding them. For more on coverage in conservative media, see City Journal. The scientific perspective is discussed in systematic reviews on gender-affirming care.