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Glossary states sex is not fixed, binary
The primary teaching hospital of Boston University’s medical school recently updated its “Glossary for Culture Transformation” to include dozens of ideologically loaded terms, a medical advocacy group found.
For example, Boston Medical Center’s glossary includes entries for “assigned sex at birth,” “LGBTQIA+,” “fatphobia,” “anti-blackness,” “pansexual,” “misgender,” “transphobia,” and “two-spirit,” among many others.
The definition for “assigned sex at birth” includes a note that states “It is not valid to use ‘biology’ or ‘science’ to claim assigned sex at birth and/or gender are a fixed, concrete concept and/or binary.”
The glossary defines “gender” as a “social construction that assigns particular characteristics, norms, and roles to sex and genitalia.”
In its definition of “pronouns,” the glossary states that “People may also use gender-neutral pronouns such as they, them, their(s). Or, they may be ze (rather than she or he) or hir (rather than her(s) and him/his).”
It includes a note instructing readers to avoid using the term “preferred pronouns,” as it “implies that it is optional or less important.”
Further, in its entry on “fatphobia,” the glossary states that “Anti-fatness is intrinsically linked to anti-blackness, racism, classism, misogyny, and many other systems of oppression.”
The entry also offers examples of fatphobia in the medical field, such as the “size of exam tables, gowns, blood pressure cuffs, and scale limits.”
The Office of Equity, Vitality, and Inclusion partnered with Boston University’s medical and public health groups to develop this glossary to promote “justice, equity, and belonging,” according to the medical center’s website.
It also notes that the glossary was developed through broader community input and prioritized the needs of marginalized groups.
Do No Harm Medical Director Dr. Kurt Miceli told The College Fix the glossary “is awash in DEI ideology rather than clinically grounded content.”
“The language an institution adopts sends a clear message about its priorities, and Boston Medical Center’s Glossary for Culture Transformation is no exception,” he said.
Miceli said that the ideological filter of the glossary “diverts attention away from the biological and scientific foundations essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment.”
This activist terminology “steers clinicians toward a political framework instead of the scientific standards that ensure clear, consistent, unbiased patient centered care,” he said.
“By elevating activist terminology, Boston Medical Center signals a shift from objective medical practice towards a political narrative,” he said.
Further, the terms it chose to define show that the center has sidelined “patient care and scientific rigor” to promote a “divisive worldview that does nothing to strengthen clinical practice,” he said.
Boston Medical Center, Boston University, and the American Medical Association did not respond to requests for comment from The College Fix.
The medical center’s website also invites users to sign a “Words Matter Pledge.”
It outlines several commitments, including using language intended to challenge systems of oppression, discussing disparities affecting marginalized groups within a framework of systemic oppression, and pursuing ongoing personal growth by addressing biases.
Boston University also offers a course called “Queering Health” to teach students about “LGBTQ+ affirming therapies, healthcare, public policy, and legislation,” The College Fix previously reported.
This follows a rise of concerns over politicized medical instruction in higher education.
For example, top medical schools are teaching topics such as “weight inclusivity,” racial justice, and gender ideology, according to a Speech First report.
The report’s author told The College Fix this has created “a crisis of clinical judgment.”
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