Senator Tammy Baldwin Faces Scrutiny Over $400K Grant to Group Offering Chest Binders to Kids

Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin is facing backlash for directing $400,000 in federal funds to a youth organization that provided chest binders to young girls identifying as boys. This revelation has put her on the defensive in a heated race against Republican challenger Eric Hovde. In an attempt to quell the controversy, Baldwin's campaign released an ad claiming she secured funding for a "youth homeless shelter," not a transgender clinic, and that children in Wisconsin do not undergo sex-change surgeries. However, the facts tell a different story.

The organization in question, Briarpatch Youth Services, received the federal dollars under Baldwin's direction. At the time, Briarpatch ran the “Teens Like Us LGBTQIA2s+” program, which included a gender-affirming clothing initiative. Through this program, Briarpatch distributed chest binders devices used by young girls to flatten their breasts and gaffs, which are specialized underwear for males identifying as female. These materials are part of a broader transgender-affirming agenda that many conservatives see as harmful to children.

• Briarpatch also promoted the donation of used chest binders and directed people to Origami Customs, a retailer that specializes in custom transgender clothing. Despite this, Baldwin insists that the federal funds were intended solely for mental health services, not for pushing radical gender ideology on kids.

• Data shows that transgender surgeries on minors in Wisconsin are on the rise. Since 2019, at least 195 minors have undergone transgender-related surgeries in the state, and 97 children have been prescribed puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. These numbers have only increased under the current administration, adding fuel to the fire in Baldwin’s reelection battle.

• Republican leaders, including Hovde and former President Donald Trump, have made transgender ideology a focal point in their campaigns against Democrats. CatholicVote’s investigation revealed that 86 girls in Wisconsin who identify as boys have had their breasts removed a devastating statistic for many concerned voters.

Baldwin’s attempt to downplay her involvement in promoting transgender resources for minors is seen as a desperate move in a race that’s heating up. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers further exacerbated the issue when he vetoed Republican legislation aimed at banning life-altering procedures like these from being performed on children.

This issue speaks to a broader concern about the Democratic Party’s embrace of transgender ideology and the impacts it has on the nation's youth. Baldwin’s record on these matters may just be what swings the tight Senate race in favor of Hovde, as more voters wake up to the realities of what this funding is truly supporting.

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