The case SHOULD be simple. The Equal Protection Clause prohibits gender based discrimination for health care.

IOW a state should not be allowed to prohibit healthcare to one gender assigned at birth that is available to another gender assigned birth.

Hormone therapy is used all the time by cis-gender youths to stimulate or delay puberty.

Body augmentation is done all the time on cis-gender youths.

It SHOULD be easy to conclude that to be consistent with the Equal Protection Clause that a medical procedure open to one group cannot be denied others.

Republicans, being hateful bigots, will find a way though.

While I do believe in Trans rights, I really struggle with allowing children to make these decisions. The reason being they don't KNOW what they are doing and don't have the ability to make an informed decision. If they had that ability we would consider them adults.

On the other hand the only time the GOP wants to consider them adults is when there is a crime...

#6 | Posted by GalaxiePet

Yeah, but you see, gender affirming care is not a kid comes in and says I think I am another gender, ok, lets chop off his private parts.

It does not work that way.

When done appropriately (and I am not arguing there aren't occurrences of unethical behavior not adequately treating the child), gender affirming care is a long PROCESS.

GAC may be something as simple as affirming the trans child's gender identity with a new name or through dress.

GAC can be done solely in a safe place like in the home.

GAC encompasses a wide range of therapies, consultations with a variety of medical professionals, issues, dress, language, names, and yes eventually medication and occasionally surgery

GAC can and should and does include professional therapists to parse body dysmorphia issues from transgenderism.

GAC can and should and does allow children to explore their gender identity and be allowed to say you know what I am not trans I am gay or something similar.

GAC can and should and is a process that safely allows the child to explore his or her or their identity in a safe, nurturing, loving, non-judgmental and open-minded environment.

It is simply not a thing that gender affirming surgeries are being performed willy-nilly except in those cases (if any) where the medical professional is acting unethically and likely illegally.

And it must be clear that trans people only want to live their lives, they are NOT interested in indoctrinating or brainwashing your kids.

People can start by considering trans people as human beings deserving of respect.

An ACLU trans lawyer claims 2 year olds know they are trans.

This is insanity.

#21 | Posted by BellRinger

You've never encountered a toddler that does not prefer to play or dress in the normative manner as their gender assigned at birth?

i.e. you've never heard of young boys who prefer to play with dolls or wear high heels and young girls who prefer smashing things or hate dresses?

The point being is that it is better to allow the children to express their identities as they see fit then to deny them the expression of who they are.

Many, if not most, of those young children expressing non-normative behavior are not trans and will not be forced to transition and will benefit from not being stigmatized for not expressing themselves in cis normative ways.

Those who truly are trans will be able to grow up in a healthy environment.

I truly wonder why you think that is insane.

Oh wait, now I remember.

In fact I would argue that most parents do practice GAC in their own small way without realizing it, if their young child acts in non-normative ways from their gender assigned at birth.

Like say their 2 year old boy comes to them wearing their mom's high heels, they don't yell at them to stop acting like a girl.

Or when a 2 year boy acts nurturing to siblings or expresses an interest in cooking or cleaning they quietly support them.

Or when their young daughters prefer to roll around in the mud and are determined to not wear pink, they don't shame them or make them feel guilty.

I suppose many parents do, now that I think about it.

But being a nurturing parent in those situations IS GAC.

Probably 99 or 98 times out of a 100 the child outgrows that interest and can express their identity more directly and they were none the worse the wear.

And 1 or 2 out of a hundred are actually trans and will develop in a more healthy environment knowing they are accepted for who they are.

I really wonder about people who hate people so much.

I suppose many parents do, now that I think about it.

should be

I suppose many parents don't, now that I think about it.