In a world rife with stereotypes, one medical professional is challenging the status quo.
Dr. Jerry Kruse, dean, provost, and CEO of Southern Illinois University's School of Medicine, is using his platform to combat harmful assumptions and promote inclusivity. His stance, rooted in resistance, is making waves in Carbondale, Illinois, and beyond.
According to RedState, Dr. Kruse recently appeared in a Fox News video, speaking alongside a panel at Southern Illinois University. His remarks were not confined to academic matters but extended to broader societal issues. In essence, Dr. Kruse was engaging in a verbal duel with President Donald Trump.
On January 20th, the Trump administration issued Executive Order 14168, which stated:
"Across the country, ideologues who deny the biological reality of sex have increasingly used legal and other socially coercive means to permit men to self-identify as women and gain access to intimate single-sex spaces and activities designed for women, from womens domestic abuse shelters to womens workplace showers.
This is wrong. Efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex fundamentally attack women by depriving them of their dignity, safety, and well-being."
The President further pledged:
"[M]y Administration will defend womens rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male."
In response to this, Dr. Kruse, standing at the podium, stated:
"[Trump's executive orders] and actions -- and the general philosophy that they espouse -- constitute direct attacks on all that is important to us: science, higher education, healthcare."
Dr. Kruse argued that the concept of sex is not as straightforward as it might seem:
"For gender equity, an executive order is titled 'Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.' This...order seeks to narrowly define sex and gender in order to target transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people for mistreatment and discrimination."
He further criticized the order for perpetuating harmful stereotypes:
"While the order allegedly attempts to protect women and girls, what it really does is threaten any woman or girl who doesnt conform to sex-based stereotypes and opens them up to invasion of privacy."
The School of Medicine, according to Dr. Kruse, stands firmly against such discriminatory practices:
"This is an attack on women, on gender identity, on sexual orientation, and on basic human rights. ... Thankfully, the SIU system stands firm with a strong voice. ... [P]resident Dan Mahoney has stated that we will hold our ground, and that 'the executive actions are antithetical to the values of our institution...'"
The idea that medical ethics should challenge assumptions about gender is not new. The training ground for America's doctors is filled with principled positions, including one that challenges the racism of grading.
In the current social climate, arenas of endeavor no longer operate independently. What was once purely medical is now also ideological. Wokeness, it seems, is the thread that binds all aspects of society together.
Dr. Kruse's school biography reveals his interest in the intersection of biology and society, and his commitment to improving healthcare systems through informed policies. His opposition extends beyond gender distinctions to a range of oppressive practices:
"[P]resident Trump...took a number of executive actions in...areas that potentially will have a direct, negative effect on the SIU School of Medicine. These...include...immigration; equity, diversity and inclusion; healthcare programs; nutrition programs; gender identity; global health..."
Despite the challenges, SIU is prepared to meet the need.
In a bygone era, everyone had a sex and no one had a gender. State-funded medical institutions were solely invested in objective science. But times have changed, and the world has grown more complex. Social consciousness now informs all aspects of life.
In Southern Illinois, issues such as immigration, global health, and diversity are of paramount importance. And in the realm of academic medicine, there's a new prescription for the ailment known as America's Commander-in-Chief.
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