The idea that parents who don’t support their child’s gender transition need to be pushed aside is gaining steam in Democratic-led state legislatures, starting with Washington.
A bill on the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, would allow youth shelters and host homes to conceal from parents the whereabouts of runaway children who request or receive “protected health care services,” including abortions, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
State Sen. Marko Liias, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, said Wednesday that the measure has been the subject of “widespread misinformation.” He insisted that “it is simply about protecting youth in crises and making sure they have access to safe, stable shelter.”
He said shelter personnel would be required to notify the Department of Children, Youth and Families in lieu of parents.
As far as Republicans are concerned, the legislation would enable the state to make children “effectively disappear,” as Senate Minority Leader John Braun put it.
“What this is doing is legalizing the illegal harboring of a youth,” state Rep. Travis Couture, a Republican, told The Washington Times. “Some people have said it’s akin to state-sponsored kidnapping.”
Washington law requires those who discover minor children away from home to report them to their parents immediately unless there are “compelling reasons” not to, such as abuse or neglect.
The legislation would add to the list circumstances in which a “minor is seeking or receiving protected health care services,” meaning “gender-affirming treatment” and “reproductive health care treatment.” Minors do not need parental permission to have abortions in Washington state.
“I look forward to a future in Washington where every single family supports their trans youth to achieve the care and success that they need,” Mr. Liias said at a February hearing. “Until that day, it’s up to us to make sure that there are safe places for them to learn and grow and thrive.”
Senate Bill 5599 doesn’t have widespread support. It passed last week at the cutoff deadline with no Republican votes. The bill drew enormous opposition at a Feb. 6 public hearing from parents, including some LGBTQ parents.
“Since the vote on SB 5599, I’ve been contacted by thousands of concerned Washingtonians about this attack on parents’ rights and families,” said state Rep. Jim Walsh, a Republican. “Sponsors and supporters of this bill have overstepped the constitution and case law in promoting this policy, which would allow state bureaucrats to hide minor children from custodial parents and legal guardians.”
Mr. Inslee is expected to sign the measure.
“If a young person is totally estranged with their parents, has no meaningful relationship, we need someone to care for that child,” Mr. Inslee told reporters last week. “And the way that legislation is set up is essentially the Department of Children, Youth and Families would step into that position to care for that child so that you have somebody looking out for their benefit.”
The legislation is the latest step in what alarmed parental rights advocates describe as a march to replace the authority of concerned families with that of woke public officials on education and medical care under the banner of transgender rights.
California isn’t far behind. Assembly Bill 665 would make it easier for youngsters to undergo psychological counseling without their parents’ consent, raising concerns about minors being steered to “gender-affirming” mental health services behind their family’s backs at school or elsewhere.
Last year, California became the first state to declare itself a sanctuary state for youths seeking gender transition services. It responded to a spate of conservative state laws prohibiting those younger than 18 from being prescribed puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or sex change surgeries.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said the legislation was a win for “parental choice” and parents seeking “gender-affirming care” for their children should be able to do so “without fear.”
Those experiencing increasing fear, however, are parents who risk running afoul of the law if they don’t want their underage children to undergo gender transition procedures.
Advocates for parents’ rights are fighting policies in some public schools that prevent teachers and counselors from telling parents when their children use opposite-sex names and pronouns.
Sarah Parshall Perry, senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, called the Washington state bill the “stuff of parents’ nightmares” and a “breathtaking evisceration of parental rights.”
“The bill would allow the state to legally hide runaway children from their parents if the parents don’t consent to their child’s ‘gender transition’ or abortion,” she said in a Tuesday op-ed. “No allegation of abuse in the household is required.”
She cited Washington’s 2019 law giving children ages 13 and up discretion over whether insurance companies may inform parents about treatment for “sensitive conditions,” including gender dysphoria, substance abuse and “reproductive health.”
“Together, these bills clear the way for children between the ages of 13 and 17 — without their parents’ knowledge — to stay at shelters that welcome runaways for an indefinite time while they seek these procedures,” Ms. Perry said.
Other opponents say messages such as Mr. Liias’ imply that the state will take charge unless parents allow their children to undergo gender transition treatment.
“We are deeply concerned about the implications of SB 5599, and every parent of our state should be as well,” said Washington State Republican Party Chairman Caleb Heimlich. “This legislation poses a significant risk to the welfare of our youth and undermines the fundamental rights of parents in making decisions about their own child’s health and well-being.”
Civil rights lawyer Hans Bader said he could envision a scenario in which the state may “try to ‘resolve any conflict’ between parent and child by pressuring the parents to put their kids on puberty blockers.”
Republicans pointed to the lopsided Feb. 6 public hearing before the Senate Human Services Committee, where 4,700 people signed up to express opinions on the bill. A whopping 98% opposed the measure, according to legislative Republicans.
“A parent may not even know why the child ran away and could involve law enforcement or other groups in a desperate search — all the while going through an unnecessary emotional nightmare, imagining the worst about what might have happened,” Mr. Braun said.
He noted that the bill “would also apply to children from other states who may travel thousands of miles for services not available to them at home,” meaning Washington could become a destination for disaffected teens seeking to disappear from their parents.
During floor debate, Republicans argued that adolescents lack the maturity and brain development to make potentially life-altering, irreversible medical decisions. A dozen amendments were proposed, but the only one that passed would require the state to collect data on the number of minors affected by the law.
Supporters countered by citing the high suicide rate of transgender teenagers. They said it was important to expand access to gender transition options to address depression and improve adolescent mental health.
“Across our country, people are rejecting trans youth and gender-affirming care. Tonight, I am also addressing them: I see you, I affirm you, I hear you and I love you,” state Rep. Tana Senn, a Democrat, said on the House floor.
Mr. Couture insisted that there must be a better solution.
“I think there’s a way to solve the goal of reducing trans suicides without destroying parental rights,” he said. “To me, it just feels wrong that the government thinks they can parent your children better than loving families.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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