R.G. Cravens is a political scientist whose research examines LGBTQ identity, religion and political participation. He has taught at California Polytechnic State University and worked as a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Role at the time: Senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center at the time of the interview
Condemned
Statement summary
Cravens argues that the report lends federal authority to anti-LGBTQ ideology. He warns that political actors could use it to portray trans people as threats and restrict rights.
“It is anti-LGBTQ ideology seeking legitimation from the federal government, from HHS,”
Open source (opens in a new tab)HHS Issues False Report Linking Support For Gender Affirming Care With “Authoritarianism” And ViolenceTwo consecutive paragraphs quoting Andrew Flores, beginning "These are not scales that have ever been validated."
Why we used this label
Relative to the HHS report's claim linking gender-affirmation support with authoritarianism and violence, the speaker criticizes its methods, framing or use.
An HHS survey report linked selected gender-affirmation beliefs with higher authoritarianism scores and stated political-violence justification. Its authors say it does not establish causation or measure violence; critics dispute its measures and broader framing.
