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FACT BRIEF

Did Tammy Baldwin fund a transgender clinic for youths?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., directed $400,000 in 2024 federal spending to Briarpatch Youth Services, a Madison, Wisconsin-area nonprofit.

Republican Eric Hovde, Baldwin's opponent in the Nov. 5 election, alluded to the earmark in claiming that Baldwin “gave all of our money to a transgender clinic ... that does this without notifying parents."

Briarpatch provides counseling, shelter, job assistance and other services to runaway and homeless youths.  

It's not a transgender clinic.

Briarpatch says its Teens Like Us program supports “queer youth ages 13-18.”

Fox News’ March report on the earmark said Briarpatch's website said clients did not need parental permission to join Teens Like Us.

A Wall Street Journal op-ed reported that after the Fox News report, Briarpatch removed from its website references to clothing that help transgender people adapt their appearance to their gender identity.

Briarpatch told Wisconsin Watch it changed its site to protect youth safety.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending
U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Briarpatch Youth Services About
Fox News Have Venezuelan gang members made it to Wisconsin?
Briarpatch Youth Services Teens Like Us LGBTQIA2s+
Fox News Millions for late-term abortion clinic, transgender devices buried deep in $1.2T spending package
Google Docs Wall Street Journal opinion article 9/13/24
Newsweek Did Mike Johnson Approve Funding to Give Transgender Teens Clothing?
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Tammy Baldwin pushes back on GOP criticism of funds for group that helps at-risk youth
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.