- Austria proposes harsh penalties for parents who oppose gender-related medical interventions for minors, including fines up to €30,000 or a year in jail for questioning a child's desire to transition.
- Psychological treatment for gender dysphoria could be banned under the bill, as it classifies such therapy as "conversion therapy," preventing exploration of underlying mental health issues like depression or bullying.
- Political blame game erupts after the draft leak, with parties (SPO, Greens, NEOS) disputing authorship while critics warn the law criminalizes parental rights and medical ethics.
- Surge in youth gender surgeries raises concerns, with mastectomies among under-25 girls skyrocketing from four in 2011 to 128 in 2023. Many later expressed regret.
- Critics compare the bill to authoritarian overreach, arguing it prioritizes ideology over child welfare and mirrors historical abuses like Soviet psychiatry or China's one-child policy.
Austria is on the spotlight following news of a draconian gender identity law. Under the measure, parents opposing irreversible gender-related medical interventions on their underage children could find themselves behind bars.
A leaked draft bill would impose fines up to €30,000 ($34,428) or a year in jail for questioning a child's desire to undergo hormone therapy or genital-altering surgeries. The legislation reportedly pushed by the SPO (Social Democrats) and NEOS (Liberals) parties also seeks to classify any psychological treatment for gender dysphoria as "conversion therapy." This effectively bans therapists from exploring underlying mental health conditions like depression and anxiety that may influence a minor's desire to transition.
Political chaos ensued following the draft law's leak. The SPO denied authorship and blamed the Greens, while the Austrian People's Party insists the draft originated with the Social Democrats.
Meanwhile, NEOS claimed the bill merely targets conversion therapy, a term now controversially expanded to include cautious medical advice. The Liberals cited a 2019 motion originally introduced by the SPO to back up the claim.
The proposal has ignited fierce backlash, with critics warning it criminalizes parental rights and medical ethics in service of radical gender ideology. Psychiatrist Bettina Reiter, a vocal opponent, warns the law would force parents into silence. (Related: Canada rapidly criminalizing anyone who opposes transgenderism.)
"If parents say, 'My child has a problem,' this law will force them to say, 'Do whatever you want.' That is totalitarian," she remarked. "Parents will also be criminalized – and that is the worst part."
Vienna's dangerous push to control kids' medical choice
The numbers underscore the urgency of the debate. Mastectomies among girls under 25 surged from just four in 2011 to 128 in 2023, with many later expressing profound regret.
Amid the finger-pointing, one fact remains. Vienna appears willing to fast-track a law that could strip parents of their right to intervene in life-altering medical decisions for their children.
Historically, such state overreach echoes authoritarian regimes that weaponized medicine for ideological ends – from Soviet psychiatry's abuse of dissidents to China's one-child policy. Critics argue the SPO's bill follows a similar pattern, prioritizing dogma over individual welfare.
If passed, the law would mark a dangerous precedent, equating parental concern with criminal transphobia. As the debate intensifies, the world watches whether Austria will become the first Western democracy to jail parents for resisting irreversible medical procedures on their children.
Head over to Transhumanism.news for more similar stories.
Watch Jefferey Jaxen and Del Bigtree discussing a new study that challenges the positive claims of transgender surgery in this clip.
This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree on Brighteon.com.
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