Brian Christine said the reported association warranted serious scientific scrutiny and said HHS would continue research on the relationship.

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health

This study raises important questions about what happens when ideology is given the authority of medicine.

Source and context

Official statement

HHS releases study finding individuals who associate left-wing authoritarian beliefs and radical gender ideology are more likely to justify political violence (opens in a new tab) - U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesBrian Christine statement; causal and behavior limitations

About this source

HHS's official release presents the report's claimed associations, quotes Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brian Christine calling for further scrutiny, and says the study does not determine causality or measure actual commission or intent of political violence.

Before the quotation

HHS's release describes the commissioned survey and its reported associations before quoting Christine.

After the quotation

Christine's full statement calls the association worthy of scrutiny and says HHS will pursue research. The same release says the study did not determine causality or measure violent behavior or intent.

Defended or excused
How this statement is classified

Christine treats the report's stated association as a valid basis for further inquiry and supports HHS continuing this research, while not claiming the study proved causation.

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Global Project Against Hate and Extremism

This study is not a neutral scientific inquiry.
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Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz

There’s no good reason to believe that people who support “gender ideology”, however you define it, are more likely to be violent extremists.
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Human Rights Campaign

spuriously claiming to connect so-called “left-wing authoritarianism” and violence
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