Governor forces radiologist to resign from state board of medicine over support for trans care ban
The Wyoming governor has forced a radiologist to resign from the state board of medicine over his support for a law banning the delivery of gender-affirming care to minors.
Frederick “Eric” Cubin, MD, served on the legislative body until April 29, though his current term wasn’t set to expire until 2028. In a February message obtained by local media, the Casper, Wyoming, radiologist had emailed all 62 members of the state house of representatives, urging them to support Children Gender Change Prohibition.
Dubbed “Chloe’s Law” after a local activist, the bill prohibits Wyoming physicians from providing gender-affirming care to minors, Cowboy State Daily reported May 28. Gov. Mark Gordon (R) signed the legislation in March, less than a month after Cubin’s email. The state’s top official reportedly expressed concern about the optics of the radiologist publicly advocating for the law while serving on the board.
“Medical professionals should be confident that their licensure, which is their livelihood, will be handled professionally and clinically examined on merits alone,” Gordon wrote. “Even the appearance of bias can be disquieting as well as erode confidence in the board’s presumed impartiality.”
Cubin, who has worked for Casper Medical Imaging since 2010, defended himself in an interview with the news outlet. He emphasized that his views only pertain to transgender care for children, which he firmly opposes.
“At the end of the day, I stood up for my principles, I stood up for what’s right, and I stood up for the children in the state of Wyoming,” Cubin said. “Because I did that, I was removed from the board.”
Read the rest of the story from Cowboy State Daily here:
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.