EXCLUSIVE: Oregon medical group blames Libs of TikTok after being exposed for denying woman breast cancer treatment over her gender critical views

After an Oregon breast cancer patient was dismissed from the medical practice where she was getting treatment due to her refusal to believe men are women, the medical group doubled down and backed their initial reaction, which was to ban her from the practice. 

The Richmond Family Medicine Clinic, part of OHSU, in Portland, Oregon, said that they are taking "measures to guard against harassing behavior."

In an email obtained by The Post Millennial, the medical clinic also complained that the account from their former breast cancer patient as to how she was dismissed was shared by Libs of TikTok.

Marlene Barbera, who was set to receive a mastectomy later this month due to her breast cancer, took issue with a trans flag displayed in the office and had asked if she could be treated in a place that did not have a trans flag. In response, she was banned from the practice. Barbera has also had trouble seeking treatment elsewhere, due to her objection to trans ideology.

Barbera shared the information on her own account as well.

The practice sent an email to staff, saying:

"This week, there has been media and social media activity regarding a person who says they were dismissed from OHSU’s Richmond Clinic for disrespectful and harmful behavior. This person shared on social media and it was picked up by an account that calls itself 'Libs of Tik Tok.' While we cannot comment upon a patient’s status without their authorization, please know that our policies reflect our belief that our caring staff deserves respect from patients and visitors as they work tirelessly to provide care to other, and we will take measures to guard against harassing behavior, even when it means making the difficult decision to dismiss a patient. As you know, we are further evaluating security measures and options to keep you safe as well.

"Some OHSU members are receiving emails, phone calls and voice messages around this issue and you may see it on social media, so we wanted to share OHSU’s public response (below) as well as share resources. If you are contacted around this issue, you’re encouraged to not respond or engage," the email continued.

"If a communication is threatening in any way, or if there are repeat communications of a harassing nature, please share the information with pubsafe@ohsu.edu and news@ohsu.edu. Also, if communication relates to media coverage, please send it to news@ohsu.edu and the Media Relations team will assist. If you are seeing negative comments on your social channels, we recommend not engaging and considering making your accounts private. You are welcome to email the Social Media team at socialmedia@ohsu.edu with any questions as well."

That message was signed by Jennifer K Smith, who uses "she/her" pronouns, and has been in her current post for more than 2 years.



LGBTQ Nation covered the story as well, saying that Barbera, in seeking treatment in an environment that respected her existence, was "oppressing" trans people.

In dismissing Barbera, the medical group said that her comments were "hurtful" to the LGBTQ community. The trouble began when Barbera went to an appointment at the Richmond Family Medicine Clinic, and a trans flag was on display. "I wrote my Doctor a MyChart message all about how offensive, I, as a gender-critical woman, found political messaging in a healthcare setting," she said.

Barbera said it was "daunting" to be a natal woman who doesn't believe that men can become women and to go to her doctor's office to discuss her upcoming mastectomy for breast cancer, a traumatizing experience for many women, and to find this harmful ideology on full display. She asked for a telephone appointment in order to discuss her treatment.
 

"May I please have a telephone appointment to discuss how I may access your medical care without walking under a banner that seeks to negate all I am?" Barbera asked. The answer was a resounding "no." She had been with the practice for 12 years.

"I would like to speak to you directly—as I no longer trust that my communications are filtered in good faith by OHSU staff. Additionally," she continued, "I do not feel comfortable, as a gender critical woman, who believes gender to be nonsense and sexed bodies to be a reality, I do not feel comfortable coming into Richmond with that enormous transgenderism banner hanging like a Nazi flag behind the reception desk.

"Where is the Flag for women?" she asked, "For children?" Barbera said she had been threatened on Twitter "by transactivists with rape and death—so it is daunting to go for medical treatment with that banner proclaiming that what I am—an adult human female, (calling myself that now is hateful per OHSU) a woman, is a mere opt-in category for any gender nonconforming male and not reality itself—this negates women completely."

She continued, expressing her emotional reaction to the trans flag, but was met with nothing but refusals and vitriol from her medical providers. "This letter is to inform you that effective immediately you are discharged from receiving medical care at the Richmond Family Medicine Clinic. This action is being taken because of ongoing disrespectful and hurtful remarks about our LGBTQ community and staff."

Barbera was given one month to find a new provider, though the letter specified that she would be admitted to no OHSU family medicine clinics, including urgent care facilities.