by Renee McGuinness
VTDigger has presented a very biased perspective on gender-affirming industry ‘shield laws,’ H.89 and S.37, into law on May 10th by Governor Scott.
Sarah Mearhoff’s article Phil Scott Signs Landmark Reproductive Shield Bills Into Law mischaracterized Vermont Family Alliance (VFA) as an anti-abortion group. Vermont Family Alliance is a parental rights and minor protections advocacy group. All VFA’s testimonies to Committees at the State House and commentaries on H.89 and S.37 address the so-called “gender-affirming care” aspects of both bills.
Our analysis, testimonies, and commentaries were sent to all Vermont media outlets, including VTDigger. VTDigger did not publish any of our well-researched commentaries and analysis and has failed to consider any other point-of-view regarding transgender treatments.
Sarah provided a quote from Lucy Leriche, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s vice president of Vermont public affairs, yet failed to reach out to VFA for comment. Statements from Vermont Right to Life Committee and Pregnancy Resource Centers are also noticeably absent.
VTDigger is a journalism trust that claims it is a news organization “in pursuit of truth” that reports “without fear or favor”, and whose mission is, “to produce rigorous journalism that explains complex issues, promotes public accountability and fosters democratic and civic engagement.”
VTDigger, along with legislators, failed to serve Vermonters by intentionally ignoring perspectives from VFA, a grassroots group of Vermont citizens and constituents that provided rigorous studies on the negative outcomes of so-called gender-affirming care, and declining input from both experts with dissenting points-of-view and patients harmed by so-called gender-affirming care.
VTDigger has failed to fulfill its mission on the issues of gender ideology, so-called gender-affirming care, and all aspects of H.89 and S.37 ‘shield laws.’
The author is a Monkton resident and policy analyst for the Vermont Family Alliance.
Categories: Commentary, Media
They should have their 501c3 revoked.
Same goes for WCAX and Seven days.
None of them our news organizations. They are advertising agencies and propaganda arms of the progressive party.
“Lobbying and Political Intervention Activities
Unlike their for-profit counterparts, nonprofit news organizations are limited in the amount of their lobbying activities and prohibited from intervening in political campaigns. The lobbying limitation, however, allows for generous amounts of lobbying, particularly if the organization has made the 501(h) election, and does not restrict other forms of advocacy. On the other hand, the political campaign intervention prohibition strictly prohibits activities such as endorsing candidates for public office, making campaign contributions in support of such candidates, and otherwise using organizational assets to preferentially support certain candidates and/or political parties over others.”
They’ve been guilty of this for a decade.
Spot on 👍🇺🇸🗽🇺🇸
We’ve had gender affirming for decades. It is called a birth certificate. Pretty simple.
Hey you people in Management at Vermont Digger are a moron Hypocrite bunch of degusting Human beings period!! Bottom line liers period!!
Beyond disgusting!!
Liberal leftist Cronies period!!
Pardon, however, the headliner made me bust out laughing…..as most Vermonters have been aware of this for years! VT Digger is nothing more than a leftist propaganda rag for the “democrat socialists” & “progressives” since they overtook Vermont. Without a free press – your free country (or in this case) your free state is gone. Thank you, traitors, to the once-free state of Vermont: VT Digger.
Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with parenthood. The business model is to dehumanize, sterilize, mutilate, provide damaging chemicals, and terminate life. Depopulate and subjugate. The family planning false narrative that destroyed more families than supported. Blood money utilized by government officials and representatives to spill more blood for their Master. Regardless of their obstinate lawfare, there is no “shield” that will protect them from what is coming upon them.
Planned Infanticide…
I agree. The media did a terrible job of reporting on the Reproductive Shield Bills. I am disgusted that Gov. Scott signed them. Years ago, in the 1980’s I attended community forums concerning Planned Parenthoods sex education in the schools. I learned that Planned Parenthood had a plan to network into as many organizations as they could. Over the years, Planned Parenthood has successfully networked into the Vt Legislature, Schools, colleges, The UVNMC ect… Now Planned Parenthood has teamed up with Outright Vermont and together they are actively and successfully pushing their agenda on the unsuspecting public. It appears that the media believes everything Planned Parenthood and Outright Vermont claims. The media does not fact check their claims. It is clear that Planned Parenthood controls the Vt Legislature. And it is clear the media is either afraid of Outright Vermont or is supporting Outright Vermont.
I appreciate that Vermont Family Alliance has attempted to educate the public on this subject.
Please send VFA some much needed funds to counter!
I think the word you’re looking for is ‘corrupt’ faux journalism propaganda mouthpiece for Agenda 2030 hot and acceptable topics, relevant or not in Vermont, and if they aren’t. then VTDigger will MAKE them a hot topic… its called grooming the public to an accepted bias or prejudice.
When they stopped allowing comments on their articles, they showed us by their works who they work for, and whose agenda.
They had to — to be funded. News orgs do NOT make money unless they are state funded. Period.
Quid pro quo.
Qui bono?
They aren’t above cribbing an independent journo’s hard won reportage, twisting it just enough, and calling it their own either…not just once either. Modus operandi.
Digger is a cesspool of wacky, lefty, doctrine Period !
With the passage of H.89 and S.37, if a patient is harmed by gender affirming treatment, can the State of Vermont be sued since providers are now shielded?
VT Digger has always been a radical left communist rag.
I had hope for them when they started out, but then they went a long way to flop. For a while they permitted opposing views but now is a pure propaganda tool for the left. Pity. Shame on them.
The reason I quit Vt Digger was they eliminated the comment section on their site, claiming “to hard to keep up”. Piss poor excuse !👎👎👎. They just did not like the negative comments on their lies 😢😢👎👎🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🌹
so far, it’s not hard at all to moderate comments. thanks to everyone for staying within our guidelines re profanity, racism, and personal criticism of other commenters.
Burlington Free Press also announced elimination of comment section, in their words because some comments ‘don’t adhere to our values’ (paraphrasing). They lost my subscription years ago.
Well, at least they were honest. Obeyance to Constitutional Rights such as Freedom of Speech, a Free Press, and compliance with the rule of law DON’T adhere to their values.
I canceled that “fish wrapper” years ago also. I would do the same with Addison Independent except I never made the mistake of subscribing!
In reality, there were always FAR more conservative & traditional perspectives on their comment section than the people they were pandering to – and THAT is what was hard for them. Free speech always spoils everything for the left, doesn’t it??
Kathleen…your last sentence sums up all comments…Bingo!
I have to admit that when VTDigger first went into operation, I mistook them for objective, unbiased journalists, and sent them donations. When they could no longer handle posting comments that opposed their marxist mentality, they stopped accepting comments altogether, and my donation checks stopped being written. They are a solid part of the Vermont moonbat media and dont deserve the clicks of anyone who values their Constitutional Rights and basic freedoms. Starve the beast.
No, biased reporting from a liberal rag I’m shocked.