A Nike-funded study promoting hormone therapy for confused “transgender” children has just been completely debunked by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Word of the study emerged in late April, when the New York Times reported that “transgender woman” Joanna Harper, a man, was leading a Nike-funded “study of trans adolescents.”
I’m still stunned by this. @Nike is funding a study that disfigures young boys to understand if they can be physically impaired enough to compete with girls without significant “retained male advantage”.
Why is a sneaker brand doing medical experiments on children? pic.twitter.com/CsH5rG0mzX
— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) April 22, 2025
“Harper is currently helping to lead an ambitious study of trans adolescents that measures their results on a 10-step fitness test before they start hormone therapy and then, after they have begun to medically transition, every six months for five years,” the Times reported.
About a week or so later, HHS released a 409-page report debunking the notion that hormone therapy is good for kids.
The report concluded that hormone therapy for transgender people — known by the left as “gender-affirming care” — can cause “irreversible harm” and is supported by “very weak evidence.”
New HHS report – Gender-affirming “care” creates risk of:
– Psychiatric disorders
– Impaired bone density accrual
– Cardiovascular disease
– Metabolic disorders
– Infertility/SterilityEVIL. pic.twitter.com/VgsSsxxVmp
— American Principles (@approject) May 5, 2025
The report prompted cheers from the right and total denial and obfuscation from the fact-free left. The media, in particular, ran to pro-transgender “scientists” and “experts” who claimed that the report was somehow wrong.
Here’s just a sampling of how the media reacted to the report:
Trans-captured mainstream media are in damage control and spin mode. PBS speaks of “Trump’s HHS” and absurdly frames one-size-fits-all medical mutilations for gender-confused kids as “broader” than holistic therapy that looks at all possible causes of wrong body ideation.
For… pic.twitter.com/nSMGaXZIlu
— bender871 ️ (@Empiricist871) May 1, 2025
Meanwhile, anger is now mounting against Nike — which has been completely silent about the study — for funding a pro-transgender study and effectively quadrupling down on “wokeness.”
“Nike’s a mess, and if all of this is true about funding these trans studies, this is worse than [partnering with Colin] Kaepernick; this is worse than the Bud Light debacle; this is the worst thing we’ve seen for a company… in my lifetime,” conservative commentator Tomi Lahren said Tuesday on Fox News’ “The Faulkner Focus.”
She went on to slam the Nike-funded study.
“They are essentially testing young boys, and seeing if they transition them, if they use puberty-blockers and other hormone therapies, if they can essentially debilitate young male athletes to the point where they won’t have an advantage over female athletes,” she noted.
“This is going to have lasting implications in these young people’s lives, and all for what? To try to normalize the trans-athlete conversation and try to excuse or legitimize boys competing against girls? That’s really what these studies are going towards,” she added.
She concluded her remarks by demanding Nike stop with the silent treatment and explain itself to the public.
“Nike needs to be honest,” she said. “If they really do believe in this research, they need to be really honest and forthright about why they believe it. Tell your consumer, tell your customer, because nothing about this is okay.”
Listen:
(Video Credit: Fox News)
Lahren isn’t alone in her criticism. Social media is teeming with folks bashing Nike and demanding to know why an apparel company is funding the veritable mutilation of children.
Look:
@Nike how do you fund child transgender studies? It is disgusting; it is indefensible.
— Saint Joe’s (@JoeTrafficante) May 6, 2025
I heard you jumped on the transgender bandwagon. Well, it is all the rage these days. Won’t be buying your brand anymore since you support children getting their private parts chopped off and boys in girls sacred spaces. Shame on you.
— WheatThin (@maga2024cosmo) May 1, 2025
@nike Why are you funding a study on transgender children/teen athletes? From what I’ve read that study is set up in an effort to disprove differences in athletic performance. As if?!?!The fact that you’re funding this study is telling. Why are you so against female athletes?
— Friar Tuck (@FriarTuck1971) May 6, 2025
@Nike WTF, Can you say bud lite?…… Secretary Kennedy released guidance that directly contradicts years of agenda-driven activism from the media and transgender groups, as well as possibly a corporation such as Nike, which has allegedly funded transgender youth studies.
— Earl (@Earld1954) May 5, 2025
Nike presents a social justice warrior image to the world.
They pretend to champion women’s rights & human rights.
But in reality, they do no such thing. They do the opposite at every turn, in fact.
It’s time. Just don’t do it. pic.twitter.com/Z86LJRniQF
— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) May 1, 2025
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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