It's a shame that state and local governments are having to take legislative action to protect children in this day and age, but thanks to the fact that today's left -- which now owns the Democratic Party -- has no social boundaries anymore, it is what it is.
Following the state of Florida's lead to protect kids from unhealthy and deviant sexual urges and tendencies on the left, the state of Tennessee has now joined a growing chorus of conservatives who are banning life-altering procedures for children: "Tennessee Governor William Lee has signed the banning of transgender treatment for children into law," according to the UK's Daily Mail.
The law completely prohibits gender-affirming healthcare for children in the state, including hormone treatments and puberty blockers, the report said.
Additionally, Governor Lee signed another law that prohibits "adult-oriented" entertainment, such as drag shows, on public property, only allowing them in age-restricted venues beginning April 1. The new medical law, which was accelerated by the Republican majority in the state, will take full effect this summer, which means that children in Tennessee who are currently on gender-affirming medication must cease treatment by March 31, 2024.
The law's wording specifically prohibits medical treatment for gender dysphoria, rather than banning any specific drug or medication. Despite strong opposition and threats of lawsuits from groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, Governor Lee signed the bill into law without comment or public ceremony.
Republicans argue that minors do not have the maturity to make "life-altering" medical decisions like gender-affirming medication, which they claim has irreversible negative consequences. The issue of transgender rights in America has become increasingly contentious this year, with dozens of Republican-led bills attempting to ban hormone blockers in front of state legislatures, said the outlet.
Bills in other states seek to regulate the use of pronouns, trans girls' participation in sports teams, and the use of bathrooms. Some governors have already signed similar laws, while others, including Idaho, Missouri, Wyoming, and Texas, are still debating them. Democrats usually oppose these bills, while the White House has criticized the "450 and counting anti-LGBTQI+ bills" as "cheap shots" that would harm a vulnerable population, the report said.
In 2021, about 42,000 children and teens across the United States received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, nearly triple the number in 2017, according to data Komodo Health, a technology company, compiled for Reuters. Gender dysphoria is defined as the distress caused by a discrepancy between a person's gender identity and the one assigned to them at birth.
Overall, the analysis found that at least 121,882 children ages 6 to 17 were diagnosed with gender dysphoria from 2017 through 2021. Reuters found similar trends when it requested state-level data on diagnoses among children covered by Medicaid, the public insurance program for lower-income families.
Gender-affirming care encompasses a range of interventions, including allowing a child to use their preferred name and pronouns and dress according to their gender identity, also known as social transitioning. It can also involve therapy or other forms of psychological support. Medical interventions, such as puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery, may be considered from the onset of adolescence, usually around the age of 10 or 11. The goal of gender-affirming care is to support and validate a child's gender identity, the newswire continued.
"But families that go the medical route venture onto uncertain ground, where science has yet to catch up with practice. While the number of gender clinics treating children in the US has grown from zero to more than 100 in the past 15 years — and waiting lists are long — strong evidence of the efficacy and possible long-term consequences of that treatment remains scant," Reuters added.
The fact is, children do not have the mental capacity or life experience to make these kinds of decisions. And they certainly should not be exposed to sexualized behavior at drag shows. Any parent who takes their kid to see one should be relieved of their parental duties.
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