Various states have moved to allow children to secure birth control without the knowledge or notification of parents, including schools that reportedly will implant IUDs in children as young as sixth graders. Oregon however is going further still and reportedly allowed 15-year-olds to get a sex-change operation at state expense under its Medicaid program. What is curious is that Oregon officials are thus far refusing to discuss the program with media despite its obvious importance to the citizens of the state. If these reports are inaccurate, we should hear it directly from these officials. If this story is true, we are witnessing a significant change in our notion of parental rights without even a passing conversation over the basis and scope of such changes.
I have long been a critic of moves to exclude parents from notification of such procedures as abortions as a violation of parental rights. The idea that a child might be able to get such a sex-change operation without notification, let alone approval, of parents is astonishing. The notion that your son could return your daughter without notice is like a scene out of some sitcom.
Yet, Oregon Health Authority spokeswoman Susan Wickstrom said that the age of medical consent is set by state law and that age is 15 in Oregon. That allows the teenager to secure a sex-change operation and seek state coverage from the Health Evidence Review Commission (HERC). Since gender dysphoria is classified by the American Psychiatric Association as a mental disorder in which a person identifies as the sex opposite of his or her birth, the basis for refuse such an operation may be limited.
We have been discussing how medical and psychiatric experts are now approving the raising of boys and girls as young as five as the opposite gender. This obviously is a much more permanent course of change.
Nevertheless, Jenn Burleton, founder of the Portland non-profit group TransActive, insists that requiring parental consent would lead to more stress and even suicide: “Parents may not be supportive. They may not be in an environment where they feel the parent will affirm their identity, this may have been going on for years.” That is certainly true. However, they also may be supportive. They are a family and the parents raised this child.
It is important to note that a long list of criteria must still be met for such approval to occur. However, it is the lack of parental involvement that concerns me the most.
HERC estimates that as many as 112 Oregon kids may be gender dysphoric. The cost of cross-sex hormone therapy, puberty-suppressing drugs and sex reassignment surgeries are expected to be as high as $150,000 per year. However, HERC argues that the costs must be balanced against the education in suicides. It predicts that procedures will avoid one suicide a year with an average cost per suicide attempt in the U.S. is $7,234. Putting aside the merits of the program as a whole, that type of cost-benefit arguments seems highly questionable and illusory in my view. That does not mean that this program cannot be defended on medical or psychiatric grounds, but I do not believe that these are costs that are easily compared or measured.
In the end, we need to have a long-delayed discussion about parental rights in this nation for the array of different procedures and services for children without the notice or consent of parents.
What do you think?
I am going through this with my 16 yr old. I do not feel at this age they are mentally mature enough to make a decision like this and I am really struggling with not being able to have any say. They need to give a LOT of therapy first because once its done, that’s it.
I’ve mentioned before the hermorphrodyte I am close friends with…born with XY chromozones he was still gender “re-assigned” female….by age 2 he was plainly male…after his male genitilia was lopped off by a repurtable pediatirc hospital…the argument was that it was “easier”…. today it causes him extreme social distress in his feelings for females when he has to hide his lack of male physical attributes. These decisions need more thought and parential input, period. A infant can’t decide and a 15 year old should not decide…they have no clue…really. This young man now has to decide to reverse the assignment by surgival means, or not. He’s a great guy and I wish him only the best. I hope he can adjust whichever route he chooses now…one that should not have been set so early in his life. This might give y’all a clue why I’m not very sympathetics to the latter day “transgender” folks. They should try the routine without choice and see how that feels?
PS: Auto correct is NOT working on my PC at the moment. Damn!
ridiculous……not deemed old enuf to marry until17but old enough to changge sex at 15.
Max, perhaps they have parents who think like Squeeky.
Oh Squeeky, I so want to believe you have some humanity in you somewhere, but you always come out with these nasty comments, proving you are missing the empathy gene, or whatever most people have that allows them to understand others who are different from themselves. I guess there is no therapy for those who suffer from small mind, small soul and small heart. Maybe that’s what happens to kids who get whooped once too often, they grow up to be unfeeling jerks.
OH, BS on all the tolerance crap. More leftist psycho-babble. 75% of the kids grow out of the crap. As far as the others, I wonder if a good whupping with a switch wouldn’t help about half of them?
The remainder, are just nuts and aren’t going to be happy even if they do get their weenies whacked off. I submit that society at large would be better to call this crap out for the mental health issue that it is, instead of co-opting the problem for their gay agenda narrative.
“Yes, mommy’s little darling, I know you are hearing those voices! Let’s go outside and ask Mr. Tree what he thinks about it, OK???” Same darn thing.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Annie,
I was addressing Mr. Turley’s question about a teen seeking treatment without a parent’s consent…
… And how, in many instances, the teens that seek support from their parents who subsequently are denied said support, well, that IS about the parents. The documentary highlights the crucial role parents have in their child’s life. And, to the credit of these parents showcased in the documentary, they are role models for other parents who may face similar circumstances. Just like these teens in the film are role models for other teens facing the same dilemma.
So the question remains, where are the parents if they are absent from the doctor’s visit? And more so, where are these parents in their child’s life if the child has to go to a doctor under the radar?
It’s like tattoos, there is no problem until the tattoo is applied.
There is an irrevocable image after that.
Study the gender dysphoria group in mid and late stages for regrets.
Let the older people involved educate the young candidates.
The decision should probably be based on their conclusions and recommendations.
Max, I watched the full PBS documentary. Gender dysphoria is a serious condition, has nothing whatsoever to do with the parents style of parenting, or their political/ philosophical outlook. These kids realize quite young that they are in the “wrong body” and increasingly grow more unhappy. No one knows for sure why this occurs, but after watching the documentary I doubt very many honest people could deny its a real condition and happens at a very young age. After these kids are put in treatment ( using puberty blockers and then later hormones) they become happier and more at ease with their circumstance. A little empathy goes a long way in trying to understand their plight and that of their parents.
J.T. wrote:
“However, it is the lack of parental involvement that concerns me the most.”
The question, Mr. Turley, should read, WHY aren’t the parents involved in their child’s life enough to be part of this decision?
Above, you will see the link to the Frontline documentary about “Growing up Trans”. In this film, we see parents involved in this process. Why are they involved? Because they love and care about their children’s future and happiness. Unfortunately, many parents are not! This documentary is more of a guide to parents about what a trans child goes through and should be seen as a resource to parents about being involved in their child’s happiness and future instead of deadbeats that only point a finger and lay blame. Yes Mr. Turley, the lack of parental involvement is equal to the amount of parental involvement in that child’s life that supports and nourishes a rich happiness within the child of theirs.
TinEar said…
One of these nights I will likely see a t.v. pitchman saying, “Did the State of Oregon cut-off your dong when you were a teen? Call 1-800-BAD-LAWS.”
The hands down thread winner!
Tony:
“When we declare ourselves to be the absolute rulers of another person, subject to no process, we are the enemies of liberty.” So parents being in charge are the enemies of liberty? That theory can have disastrous consequences.
“But they didn’t, instead clearing the way for minors to receive, subject to ethical controls and not parental veto, appropriate treatment that they both understood fully and deliberately requested.” Like a boob job and butt implants?
It is indisputable the progress of the young mind to maturity, and the changes in capacity to understand the long term consequences of their actions. That is why minors are treated differently under criminal law. The same reasoning applies to medical procedures.
“A Jehovah’s Witness cannot be forced to receive a blood transfusion.” So a child could decide to become a Jehovah’s Witness, and then die because he refused a blood transfusion when he needed one, despite his parents’ wishes.
Well, that’s Liberal Progress for you. You’ve made parents the financiers without a say in what their kids do. Great idea.
Imagine the amount of energy wasted on this whole IF TRUE post that Prof Turley musta known had no teeth…but…you’ve got to feed the outrage machine!
Imagine if such energy/outrage was directed at real issues that affect our rights, freedom and democracy?
FWIW here’s what snopes has to say. http://m.snopes.com/oregon-teen-sex-change-law/
I can quite believe that the original poster (who appears to be Jonathan Turley who recently attended a conference my country to celebrate Magna Carta) did not intend the thread to become a locus for every liberty hating crazy in the internet. But nowhere have I seen more clearly displayed a basic hostility to the concept of liberty. When we declare ourselves to be the absolute rulers of another person, subject to no process, we are the enemies of liberty.
Lord Scarman and his colleagues could easily, in that dark heyday of British social conservatism, have overlooked the fundamental liberty of a large proportion of the population. But they didn’t, instead clearing the way for minors to receive, subject to ethical controls and not parental veto, appropriate treatment that they both understood fully and deliberately requested.
This works the other way, too. Gillick competence also safeguards the religious rights of minors: a competent minor can refuse medical treatment that they do not want. A Jehovah’s Witness cannot be forced to receive a blood transfusion.
Doctor Turley above raises concerns about 15-year-olds, but please bear in mind that in my country that’s just a year younger than the age of sexual consent. The world is not America. Gillick competence is a matter of intellectual development, not chronological age.
The propagated psychosis of Melissa Harris-Perry and indoctrination by the Gaystapo, all on one thread.
There “ought to be a law” against the pursuit of deleterious, obscure nonsense and otherwise incoherence.
Society seems to seek rationality, decency and a normal plane from time to time.
England, 1542:
“…or to pvoke [provoke] any persone to unlawfull love, or for any other unlawfull intente or purpose…”
Witchcraft Act 1542
Religious tensions in England during the 16th and 17th centuries resulted in the introduction of serious penalties for witchcraft. Henry VIII’s Act of 1542 (33 Hen. VIII c. 8) was the first to define witchcraft as a felony, a crime punishable by death and the forfeiture of the convicted felon’s goods and chattels.
It was forbidden to:
“… use devise practise or exercise, or cause to be devysed [sic] practised or exercised, any Invovacons or cojuracons [sic] of Sprites witchecraftes enchauntementes or sorceries to thentent [sic?] to fynde [sic] money or treasure or to waste consume or destroy any persone [sic] in his bodie membres, or to pvoke [provoke] any persone to unlawfull love, or for any other unlawfull intente or purpose … or for dispite of Cryste, or for lucre of money, dygge up or pull downe any Crosse or Crosses or by such Invovacons or cojuracons of Sprites witchecraftes enchauntementes [sic] or sorceries or any of them take upon them to tell or declare where goodes stollen [sic?] or lost shall become …”
Déjà vu le “Renaissance?”
If the minor has the operation without the parents consent, are the parents required to take him/her back into their home? Will the State force them to continue to feed, clothe, house, buy iPods and video games, and take the minor on vacations?
IMHO, if the minor wants to “go around” the parents to get the operation, then the minor should have to support themselves afterward.
Yeah feyd. They save the weenies and if no one claims them they take em off ice and serve em at the ball games.
“It is absurd to think that a child could simply walk into a clinic, get a sex change operation and then walk back out.”
Good news is that if things don’t work out, the kid can come back the next week for a reverse sex change.