Washington State just passed a radical bill that would allow shelters to provide gender transition medical services to minors without parental consent. Senate Bill 5599, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett), claims to protect transgender and at-risk youth seeking “gender-affirming” or reproductive care, but in reality, it would enable shelters to bypass parents and contact the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) instead.
The recently passed bill will allow certified shelters to offer gender transition medical services to minors who seek them out. These services can be provided without requiring parental consent, as long as the shelter contacts the Department of Children, Youth and Families instead.
This bill is a blatant attack on parental rights and family values. It would allow shelters to subject vulnerable children to irreversible and harmful medical interventions, such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries, without any oversight or accountability. It would also expose children to potential abuse and exploitation by shelter staff or other residents.
Parents have the right and responsibility to make medical decisions for their children, especially when those decisions involve life-altering and risky procedures. Children are not capable of giving informed consent to such treatments, which have serious physical and psychological consequences. Studies have shown that most children with gender dysphoria eventually desist and accept their biological sex if they are not subjected to social or medical transition.
In addition to concerns about the safety and wellbeing of minors, there are also broader questions being raised about the role of the government in providing gender-affirming care to minors. Senate Bill 5599 is part of a nationwide agenda to push transgender ideology on children and erase parental authority. It is opposed by many groups, including the Family Policy Institute of Washington, the Washington State Catholic Conference, and Concerned Women for America of Washington.
Last night, Washington state passed SB 5599 which allows the state to legally take children away from their parents if they don’t consent to their child’s gender transition surgeries.
All Democrats voted, yes.
All Republicans voted, no. https://t.co/C9wtbBxLWq
— Katie Daviscourt (@KatieDaviscourt) April 13, 2023