Florida is no place for a pediatric conference, when DeSantis is hostile to gender-diverse youth

The American Academy of Pediatrics, headquartered in suburban Chicago, has historically positioned itself as an advocate for all kids, including LGBTQIA+ (also referred to as gender-diverse) youth. It is, therefore, unacceptable that this organization, with more than 67,000 members, would choose to hold its 2024 annual convention in Florida — a state whose governor sits at the forefront of supporting legislation hostile to gender-diverse youth.

As a professor of pediatrics, I train pediatric residents on how best to care for all children and adolescents. We know that some youth become aware of discordance between their assigned gender at birth and how they view themselves as early as age 8. Once they decide to share their gender identity, these youth are at increased risk of parental rejection, stigmatization, homelessness, interpersonal violence and bullying. Some of this bullying is perpetuated by those with significant power, including governors and a U.S. president.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis touted his legislative "accomplishments" throughout his failed run for president. Some even attributed his early aggressive positions against gender-diverse youth as advantaging him in the Republican primaries. As a father and pediatrician, I find it abhorrent for any politician to build their campaign on the hurt and suffering of others, particularly kids.

As harshly as history may judge him, such criticism may appropriately come to those who are aware of the many challenges gender-diverse youth face, and have even historically advocated on their behalf, only to then support the very institutions that perpetuate the challenges against which their advocacy efforts are targeted. To that end, it is glaringly inconsistent that the AAP will hold its annual conference in Orlando.

Because I serve as one of the editors of AAP’s flagship journal Pediatrics, I am obligated to attend this conference. But I do so with deep sadness and anger. We must ask ourselves a tough question — whether we wish to be complicit in throwing our gender-diverse youth under DeSantis’ bus.

As we commemorate Pride month, how we answer that question will say a great deal about our own moral integrity and, more importantly, may have implications for how trusting our gender-diverse patient population is of us.

David Myles, M.D., board-certified general pediatrician, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics

Easy to avoid billboards

With regard to the spot-on Sun-Times editorial about the possible pollution of the Chicago River by digital advertising billboards, I have a solution I have adopted: I never l patronize any business that uses billboards, digital or otherwise.

Sandra Minor, McHenry

Not the Chicago many remember

As a resident of Chicago since the age of 6 who never officially left the city or state (I'm currently 51), I can say that the city is at one of the lowest points I ever remember.

The murder of that precious 7-year-old child was the breaking point for me. I had to speak up after hearing Mayor Brandon Johnson ask the questions that he broached to the inhabitants of this great city: "What kind of city do you want to live in?" I couldn't help but think to myself, "That kind of city that used to exist here." Then, my question became, "What happened to that city that I and so many of friends and associates grew up in?"

The worst part of this for me was that I couldn’t pinpoint one particular thing. I guess it is correct that you need an entire community to keep a neighborhood together, and when we lose all of the aforementioned things, community, neighborhoods and families, then we lose society as a whole.

Tangela Swain, Austin

We have a cleaning problem

Last week, around 50,000 design professionals descended on downtown Chicago for NeoCon and Fulton Market Design Days, two of the largest and most prominent design events in the world. On the tail of NeoCon, we convened a workshop representing suppliers, manufacturers, designers, scientists and policy advocates, and everyone unanimously agreed: we have a cleaning problem.

Following COVID-19, people are still fanatical about cleaning. Although this sounds like a good thing, the improper use of cleaning and disinfection products is bad for humans, the environment and even the products we’re trying to clean.

First and foremost, cleaning is not disinfection. While health care teams might be aware of this, most people are not. And, we have heard repeatedly from designers that clients don’t listen. Even when professionals make recommendations for how to clean furniture and indoor surfaces, people rarely follow those instructions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides guidance on cleaning vs. disinfecting. In the vast majority of cases, surfaces need to be cleaned, not disinfected. Using a disinfectant will likely do more harm than good.

Improper use of cleaning and disinfection products can lead to immediate, acute harms (including skin burns, eye irritation, organ damage and even death) to the people applying them and possibly others who later make contact with the residual disinfectant. Overuse can lead to antimicrobial resistance. And it likely damages the integrity of the surface they are applied to, particularly textiles.

All surfaces, even textiles with added antimicrobials, need to be cleaned. One might think that using the strongest cleaning product or disinfectant makes our surrounding environment safer and healthier. Instead, it causes unnecessary exposure to hazardous chemicals and results in excessive damage to surfaces, especially upholstered furniture.

If you’re a designer headed home with visions of beautifully finished interiors, make sure you check with the manufacturer on the best cleaning practices and communicate that to your client. And all of us, whether at work or at home, need to go easy on the harsh disinfectants and always read the label.

Erica Hartmann, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, Northwestern University
Suzanne Drake, senior designer and director of sustainability, Revel Architecture & Design