Principles of Actions

Putting Do No Harm into Practice

Three considerations:

• Strategic, necessary, and calculated risks.

• Take responsibility for actions.

• Duty of care, due diligence, and the rights of individuals.

There is a simplicity in developing our principles because so much of the work has always been grounded and focused on the concept of "Do No Harm."

We routinely use the phrase "Do No Harm" on our signs and messages. In that context, we mean that current practices in pediatric gender medicine are causing harm and that we want those harms to stop.

How we work towards the goal of ending these practices should also be grounded in the principle of "Do No Harm," and therefore we advocate for nonviolent approaches whenever possible.

That doesn't mean that everyone has to be ready to take a beating or be spit on. It means approaching strategic planning with the goal of no harm.

Be Strategic (and Open to Change When Needed)

Once you have determined the end goal, then plan the strategy. On Day 1 at the American Academy of Pediatrics, we had a primary goal: we wanted the leadership at the AAP to know that we were there protesting the policy on pediatric gender medicine. We met our goal in 15 minutes when we were told by the police that the leadership had contacted them and asked for our removal.

In addition to the police providing us with that information, a staff member from inside the building came out and quietly let us know that the participants were all staying in the hotel behind the building and walking to the building on the path around the corner.

So we changed tactics and, with a heavy heart, ditched the heavy banner and got nimbler.

Be open to local, on-the-ground information. People genuinely support this position; they might not understand it or believe it is of great importance, but for the most part, they agree with the basic principles.

Take Responsibility for Your Actions

It is best practice to take ownership of your actions and not to deny or misrepresent your activities. More about this on the 19th when considering social media, legal, and documenting actions.

Duty of Care, Due Diligence, and the Rights of Individuals

Before any action, you should attempt to identify possible risks and scenarios and try to come up with steps to limit these risks.

We first considered an action at Howard Brown in Chicago. We were on day three after two days at the AAP. We could have stood outside the building with our signs and engaged with the public.

We were tired and we knew that there was a risk of the public being upset (we were in the middle of the gay area of town) and that we might deal with physical attacks.

So we identified the risks and decided to take small action instead.