We have written a letter to Dr. Gordon Guyatt and McMaster HEI as concerned parents of children of any age experiencing transgender ideation. Our purpose is simple yet urgent: to remind Dr. Guyatt, widely regarded as the founder of evidence-based medicine, that the courage and integrity he showed in his systematic review research must not be abandoned under activist pressure.
In his published reviews, Dr. Guyatt and his colleagues rightly concluded that the evidence supporting puberty blockers and synthetic sex hormones for youth is of very low certainty. This aligns with the Cass Review in the UK and echoes what many parents have long observed: the risks are significant, long-term effects are unknown, and the foundations of so-called “gender-affirming care” are dangerously weak. Yet in his recent public statement, Dr. Guyatt appeared to soften or retreat from these conclusions, succumbing to activist criticism rather than reaffirming the very principles of rigorous evidence-based care he himself pioneered.
Our Duty Canada exists because families are living with the consequences of this kind of professional failure. Parents in our network include those whose children desisted or detransitioned after being rushed into medical pathways, often while struggling with trauma, autism, or other mental health challenges. These families have witnessed firsthand the irreversible harms that come when professionals prioritize affirmation over careful, evidence-based care.
That is why our letter calls on Dr. Guyatt and McMaster HEI to reaffirm their findings without equivocation, reject activist pressure, and speak openly about the evidence gaps and very real risks. We also urge them to advocate for stronger, long-term research rather than allowing weak evidence to drive irreversible interventions on vulnerable children.
At its heart, our message is both firm and hopeful: if the founder of evidence-based medicine cannot stand firmly on the evidence, who will? Canadian families—and their children—are counting on him not to retreat from truth.
You can read our letter here:
