Op/Ed

Letter to the editor: Parents are harmed by gender ideology activism

Montpelier’s new Senator Pro Tempore Phil Baruth has now segued from minor abortion rights to “trans youth who are trying to figure out their identities” rights in early December as can be heard on the Morning Drive radio interview.

It is not surprising that Senator Baruth, and other proponents of the passage of Article 22, refused to engage in this conversation prior to the November 8th vote, leaving parents unaware of the ramifications for their children.

Senator Baruth was emphatic when asked about family involvement, “If they’re a minor, they’re gonna need their family involved. So, this discussion we’ve had with abortion for years. The place where it gets sticky is where someone’s family is hostile to, in one case the idea of aborting a child. The other case, affirming gender identity and that’s where this discussion generates.”  

Government should have no authority to deem parents hostile and strip them of their rights and responsibilities regarding their children’s reproductive experiences outside of a court. Children and their families are being permanently harmed by the current gender ideology activism.

On October 20, 2022, the NHS of England published, “Public consultation. Interim service specification for specialist gender dysphoria services for children and young people.” This study came after “The Tavistock gender clinic is facing mass legal action from youngsters who claim they were rushed into taking life-altering puberty blockers. Lawyers expect about 1,000 families to join a medical negligence lawsuit alleging vulnerable children have been misdiagnosed and placed on a damaging medical pathway.”

The NHS of England’s findings did not include “hostile parents.”

“It was established in response to a complex and diverse range of issues including: 

1. A significant and sharp rise in referrals. In 2021/22 there were over 5,000 referrals into the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. This compares to just under 250 referrals in 2011/12. 

2. Marked changes in the types of patients being referred, which are not well understood There has been a dramatic change in the case mix of referrals from predominantly birth-registered males to predominantly birth-registered females presenting with gender incongruence in early teen years. Additionally, a significant number of children are also presenting with neurodiversity and other mental health needs and risky behaviors which require careful consideration and need to be better understood. 

3. Scarce and inconclusive evidence to support clinical decision-making. This has led to a lack of clinical consensus on what the best model of care for children and young people experiencing gender incongruence and dysphoria should be; and a lack of evidence to support families in making informed decisions about interventions that may have life-long consequences.”

In America, Chloe Cole is planning to sue Kaiser one of the nation’s largest medical groups. Chloe alleges that Kaiser Permanente coerced her into transgender medical treatment, describing her experience as grossly negligent and resulting in permanent mutilation and damage to her body: “I made an adult decision as a child.”

Laws that kick parents out of the village regarding their child’s reproductive experiences and choices will have negative consequences, guaranteed. 

Carol Kauffman

Addison

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