The University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust has suggested that hormone-induced milk produced by men who identify as women could be as beneficial for infants as mother's breast milk.
This statement has sparked concerns among medical professionals and christians alike, raising questions about the safety and efficacy of such practices.
The leaked letter from a Deputy Medical Director at the NHS Trust defends the use of medications to induce lactation in transgender men, claiming that "human milk" is "ideal for infants".
Dr. Rachael James, representing the Trust, stated that medications are sometimes used to induce lactation, and the resulting milk is comparable to that produced after childbirth.
She told the Children of Transitioners group: "Medications are sometimes used to induce lactation, similar to the natural hormones which encourage lactation to develop when the baby is newly born although occasionally some people are able to induce lactation without hormonal treatment.
"The evidence which is available demonstrates that the milk is comparable to that produced following the birth of a baby". She added that "the term human milk is meant to be neutral and is not gender-biased".
This practice, often termed "chestfeeding," is facilitated by drugs like domperidone, which have been associated with potential health risks for both the infants and the individuals producing the milk.
Critics, including Labour MP Rosie Duffield, have strongly opposed this approach, condemning it as a risky experiment that prioritises identity politics over children's welfare.
"When a man has not and cannot grow a baby, why on earth are we pandering to this? Who does it benefit? Not the children," she said in an interview. "We wouldn't do any other medical experiments on babies. Breast milk made by a baby's biological mother is tailor-made for that baby."
Head of Quality and Identity at Policy Exchange, Lottie Moore, emphasised the paramount importance of prioritising children's welfare over ideological debates.
"This letter is unbalanced and naive in its assertion that the secretions produced by a male on hormones can nourish an infant in the way a mother's breast milk can," Moore said.
"A child's welfare must always take precedence over identity politics and contested belief systems that are not evidence-based. The NHS should not be indulging in this nonsense."
On social media, many Christians have spoken out about the news. One self-proclaimed Christian user wrote "This is completely outrageous, mentally ill men should NOT be artificially breastfeeding any infant".
Prominent Christian gender ideology activist who goes by the username "billboardchris" believes this “is not breastfeeding, it is when narcissists…secrete some chemical concoction out of their chest for babies”
However, many are also embracing the idea with trans activist Julia Mallott says "some transgender women can most definitely produce breastmilk in some cases".