A Fringe Group’s Stance on LGBT Youth

We feel compelled to respond to the recent letter to the editor critical of the excellent Valley Parents magazine issue on gender issues and LGBT youth. The letter cites information from the “American College of Pediatricians,” a tiny fringe organization of an estimated 60 to 200 people, and is regarded as a hate group by such monitoring organizations as the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The ACP does not represent current scientific standards of care for children, nor does it in any way represent the voice of the nearly 60,000 nationwide members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In fact, the AAP strongly supports the approach reflected in Valley Parents. While LGBT children and teens have an increased risk for depression, bullying, homelessness and suicide, the scientific literature has multiple studies which show that these are all preventable diseases in this population if there is a supportive family, school environment and community. In fact, a study just published in March 2016 in the journal Pediatrics (the academic journal for the AAP) showed that transgendered children who are supported both medically and socially in their preferred gender have rates of depression that are identical to that of similarly aged peers. (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/137/3/1.44).

As parents and pediatricians, we strongly believe that we must work to support all children to live healthy and whole lives, which includes supporting LGBT children and their families in all aspects of medical care, school opportunities and community life.

Catherine D. Shubkin M.D.

Steven H. Chapman M.D.

Hanover

Dairy Isn’t a Danger to the Planet

As a dairy farmer, I’d like to address the statements made in the recent opinion piece “Give up Meat to Save the Planet.” The author claims that human activity related to “eating animals and their products, including milk” has the biggest impact on climate change.

In reality, every source of food and every human activity has an environmental impact. For example, the average American’s carbon footprint is dominated by transportation, housing (heating, cooling, lights, etc.), and goods and services. All food together represents 2 percent.

Dairy farmers, working with environmental organizations, scientists and others, have developed tools and a framework to measure, manage and improve upon environmental impact. In 2008, dairy farmers and the dairy industry established a voluntary goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.

Innovation and farmer ingenuity over the last century led to significant efficiencies and the ability to provide more milk using fewer resources. Since 1944, producing a gallon of milk requires 90 percent less land and 65 percent less water and has a 63 percent lower carbon footprint.

In regard to the nutritional value of dairy products, the reality is that dairy foods are a smart way to help feed the world because they provide a powerful nutrient package associated with multiple health benefits for each dollar spent — especially for those faced with food insecurity.

Replacing dairy would make achieving a healthy, nutritious diet more difficult for many people. There are many other actions consumers can take that will have significantly bigger impacts on atmospheric carbon emission, and also are quicker and more cost effective, such as reducing household food waste.

David Ainsworth

South Royalton

A Great Show at Windsor High

My hat is off to the Windsor High School students who recently performed the hilariously funny play Spamalot — a spoof on Camelot. Their acting and memory of lines was superb. I saw this play on Broadway years ago, and when I saw the Friday night performance in Windsor I was very impressed with their acting abilities. The long hours of rehearsing for the production were well worth the effort!

Lorraine Zigman

Weathersfield