Paula Brinkley is an American pediatrician and anti-transgender activist. Brinkley is associated with anti-trans hate group Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine.
Background
Paula L. Brinkley was born in November 1961. Brinkley earned a medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in 1989. After an internship at University Hospital of Cleveland and a residency at Case Western Reserve University ending in 1992, Brinkley was certified with the American Board of Pediatrics in 1992.
Brinkley married Jeffrey Steven Svoboda (born 1960), entrepreneur and Executive Director of Attorneys for the Rights of the Child. They have two children, born in 2002 and 2005.
Anti-transgender activism
2022 HHS meeting
On April 25, 2022 Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine arranged a meeting with US government officials on healthcare for trans and gender diverse youth. Brinkley was listed as an attendee.
AAP Resolution 27 (2022)
Brinkley and four other pediatricians drafted Resolution 27 critical of AAP’s consensus on best practices for gender diverse youth. The authors are:
- Julia W. Mason (Gresham, Oregon)
- Sarah B. Palmer (Carmel, Indiana)
- Paula Brinkley (Berkeley, California – Stanford Children’s)
- Debra Hendrickson (Reno, Nevada – Northern Nevada Pediatrics)
- Patrick K. Hunter (Milton, Florida – Pensacola Pediatrics)
In a 2023 letter to the editor of the Boston Globe, Brinkley wrote, “So thank you for your courage and your commitment to the ideal of truthful and independent journalism in publishing Jennifer Block’s article raising concerns about this model of care.”
In 2023, Brinkley signed the WHO Decides petition critical of the World Health Organization panel tasked with creating new transgender health guidelines. Brinkley also signed the Beyond WPATH petition that claimed “WPATH has discredited itself.”
References
Reed, Erin (Aug 09, 2022). Florida Moves To Detransition Trans Teens. Erin in the Morning https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/florida-moves-to-detransition-trans
Brinkley, Paula (November 17, 2023). The ‘affirming’ model of youth gender medicine draws some nays. Boston Globe https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/11/17/opinion/affirming-model-youth-gender-medicine-draws-some-nays/
Doe v. Ladapo et al. Civil No. 4:23-cv-00114-RH-MAF PLAINTIFFS’ NOTICE OF FILING TRIAL EXHIBITS https://files.eqcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/180-P-Trial-Exhibit-43-47.pdf
Brinkley was one of the hidden signatories to Resolution #27, a proposed plan for how the American Academy of Pediatrics handles healthcare for gender diverse minors.
Jones, Zinnia (November 1, 2022). Tracking organized anti-trans submissions to the Florida Board of Medicine October 28 meeting, which passed a ban on medical transition for trans youth. Gender Analysis https://genderanalysis.net/2022/11/tracking-organized-anti-trans-submissions-to-the-florida-board-of-medicine-october-28-meeting-which-passed-a-ban-on-medical-transition-for-trans-youth/
Jones, Zinnia (Jul 21, 2022). IDENTIFIED: The 5 redacted-signature pediatricians who signed the Genspect-promoted Resolution #27 to the American Academy of Pediatrics Julia W. Mason (SEGM) Sarah B. Palmer Paula Brinkley (Stanford Children’s Health) Debra Hendrickson Patrick Hunter (Florida Board of Medicine) https://x.com/ZJemptv/status/1550042000246067201
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) (April 25, 2022). EO 12866 Meeting 0945-AA17. Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities https://mobile.reginfo.gov/public/do/viewEO12866Meeting?viewRule=true&rin=0945-AA17&meetingId=131923&acronym=0945-HHS/OCR
- Remarks HHS Meeting 2022 https://mobile.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoDownloadDocument?pubId=&eodoc=true&documentID=136692
Resources
Stanford Children’s Health (stanfordchildrens.org)
- Paula Brinkley
- stanfordchildrens.org/en/doctor/paula-brinkley.html
Sutter Health (sutterhealth.org)
- Paula Brinkley
- sutterhealth.org/find-provider/dr-paula-brinkley-1046240662