An Oregon breast cancer patient was recently expelled from the medical practice where she was receiving treatment due to her refusal to accept the notion that men can become women.
The Richmond Family Medicine Clinic, which is affiliated with OHSU in Portland, Oregon, not only stood by its decision to ban her from the practice but also implemented additional measures to prevent what they deemed as harassing behavior.
According to an email obtained by The Post Millennial, the medical clinic expressed dissatisfaction with the patient's account of her dismissal, which was shared by the social media account Libs of TikTok.
The patient, Marlene Barbera, who was scheduled to undergo a mastectomy later this month, took issue with the presence of a transgender flag displayed in the office and requested to be treated in a location without such a flag. As a result, she was expelled from the practice. Barbera also shared her experience on her personal social media account.
In an email sent to staff, the practice stated, "This week, there has been media and social media activity regarding a person who says they were dismissed from OHSU's Richmond Clinic for disrespectful and harmful behavior. This person shared on social media, and it was picked up by an account that calls itself 'Libs of Tik Tok.'
While we cannot comment on a patient's status without their authorization, please know that our policies reflect our belief that our caring staff deserves respect from patients and visitors as they work tirelessly to provide care to others, and we will take measures to guard against harassing behavior, even when it means making the difficult decision to dismiss a patient. As you know, we are further evaluating security measures and options to keep you safe as well."
The email also provided resources for staff members who may have been contacted regarding the issue and advised them not to respond or engage if contacted. It encouraged them to report any threatening or harassing communications to the appropriate channels.
The email was signed by Jennifer K Smith, who uses "she/her" pronouns and has held her current position for over two years.
LGBTQ Nation also covered the story, characterizing Barbera's desire to seek treatment in an environment that respected her beliefs as "oppressing" transgender individuals. The medical group justified Barbera's dismissal by claiming that her comments were "hurtful" to the LGBTQ community. The conflict arose when Barbera went to an appointment at the Richmond Family Medicine Clinic and noticed a transgender flag on display. She expressed her concerns to her doctor via a MyChart message, stating that she found political messaging in a healthcare setting offensive.
Barbera, a natal woman who does not believe that men can become women, described the experience of going to her doctor's office to discuss her upcoming mastectomy for breast cancer as "daunting." She was distressed to encounter what she perceived as harmful ideology prominently displayed in the form of the transgender flag. She requested a telephone appointment to discuss her treatment options without having to be confronted by the flag. However, her request was denied, and she was informed that she was no longer welcome at the practice after being a patient there for 12 years.
In her message to the clinic, Barbera expressed her discomfort as a gender-critical woman who rejects the concept of gender and believes in the reality of biological sex. She questioned the absence of flags representing women and children, and she highlighted the threats she had received on Twitter from trans activists. Barbera felt that the presence of the transgender flag negated the existence of women entirely.
Despite her emotional plea, Barbera faced nothing but rejection and hostility from her medical providers. She received a letter stating, "This letter is to inform you that effective immediately you are discharged from receiving medical care at the Richmond Family Medicine Clinic. This action is being taken because of ongoing disrespectful and hurtful remarks about our LGBTQ community and staff."
The letter gave her one month to find a new healthcare provider but specified that she would not be admitted to any OHSU family medicine clinics, including urgent care facilities.
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