Call to Action for California

I’m writing this to all the parents in California who are sick and tired of the relentless ideological assault on our families and our children. We’ve been sidelined, attacked as bigots, unceremoniously stripped of our rights as parents, and we have watched in horror as the children of our state have been subjected to a massive social and medical experiment.

The headlong rush to the affirmation model for transgender-identified youth has not only damaged our families and communities, but has also led to irreversible pharmacological and surgical interventions. The activists will deny the existence of detransitioners who regret their decisions, or will minimize their numbers. But it’s increasingly clear that the number of kids who regret their decision to medically transition is growing rapidly.

We’re all subject to intense pressure to accept what amounts to a religious movement. The science, as the UK, Sweden, and others have discovered, absolutely does not support the standards of care established by WPATH and others. We’re told that our kids might kill themselves if we refuse to affirm, which is also unsupported by the science and also happens to be a twisted form of blackmail.

For our family, we struggled to find a counselor that wouldn’t immediately affirm. It was difficult, especially in the deep blue state where we live. The simple fact is: medical providers and therapists are either fully on board with the medicalization of identity, or are cowed into silence for fear of losing their jobs. Families have been abandoned to navigate this increasingly politicized landscape by themselves, often confused about the science and deeply concerned about the wellbeing of their children.

Put aside the question of consent for a moment. (Sure, let’s just ignore the fact that your child isn’t mature enough to sign up for a mobile phone contract, but can consent to lifelong treatment and can agree to become a ward of the medical-industrial complex.)

Rather, ask yourself: in what other field of medicine do we allow the patient to self-diagnose and, without questioning or further examination, offer medical treatments? Oftentimes without the parents’ knowledge or consent?

We have been abandoned by the medical system, attacked by the idealogues, berated by our children and peers, and have risked our jobs and social lives. Still, we push against this. Why? Because nothing is more important than protecting our children from this ideologically-driven, abhorrent form of medical malpractice.

It may be inconvenient to stand up and reach out, but I encourage you to make your voice heard by sending a letter like the one below. We need to stop this assault on children and families.

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Dear [ xyz ],

I'd like to comment on Assembly bills Assembly Bills 665, 957, 223, and Senate Bill 407. I’m a lifelong Democrat increasingly troubled by the movement toward limiting parental rights in the state. As we witness nations like the UK, Sweden, Finland, and others significantly altering their standards of care for transgender youth, we’ve seen many in the US call for ever looser standards and reduced parental involvement.

Many insist the science around adolescent transgender care is settled, but this is far from the truth. The quality of the evidence to support the standards is usually “low” or “very low” according to the GRADE standard employed in medical research, and yet the standards of care are treated as gospel. If recommendations based on similar evidence were made for taking Lipitor for high cholesterol it would be scandalous. Can we not demand the same level of intellectual rigor when it comes to our children’s lives?

I fully support all peoples’ rights to live their lives in accord with their beliefs, provided they aren’t harming others. The unfortunate truth is that the science with regard to outcomes for transgender youth suggests that we may in fact be harming many children.

Those who dare to question the standards, and the laws that are being proposed based on the standards, are often labeled as hateful or ignorant. Some may be. But the vast majority of parents want to ensure that their children are receiving the best care, not the care mandated by laws propped up by inadequate science. Perhaps you, like me, are suspicious when someone rejects debate, but rather insists on acquiescence to their preferred worldview.

Those progressive countries I referred to above are taking a fresh look at the science and concluding that it does not support the affirmation model. They are now offering children the opportunity to explore their identities without undergoing lifelong changes to their bodies.

Families are the bedrock of civilization. We should be finding ways to better protect children, yes—but if we believe that we can come up with a better social structure than millions of years of evolution, I fear we’re overstepped and many will suffer as a result.

Please, for the sake of our kids, pursue an open, honest debate on this subject. Push back on those who would shut debate down. Let’s emulate those nations with the best healthcare systems in the world, and ensure that the science supports the conclusions.

I hope our state can find a way to support gender-nonconforming children as they explore their identities and avoid a headlong rush into the lifelong medicalization of healthy children, teens, and young adults.

Sincerely,

A Voter

Here is a link to find who to send your letter to. We recommend sending the letter to both the senate and the assembly because both will vote on the bills. Here is a full list of telephone numbers for the CA legislature. CAPITOL CODEX: CROWDSOURCED #CALeg Spreadsheet - Google Sheets

TIME SENSITIVE - Bills AB665 and SB407 are being heard on Tuesday, June 20th in the afternoon, please try to call the following legislatures and ask them to vote no. You can leave a message too. AB665 permits a 12-year-old or older to consent to a residential shelter without any claim of abuse or danger of harm. It would place a gender-confused kid away from the parents in a LGBTQ group home, where they can ultimately decide their own gender interventions.

SB407 requires any potential foster family to contract that they will affirm any foster child that they take in. This will severely cut the number of foster families and place mostly black and hispanic kids (70% of all kids in CA Foster Care) into LGBTQ group homes.

FOR AB665 - CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS TO OPPOSE

Senator Umberg

916-651-4034

Senator Wilk

916-651-4021

Sen. Niello

916-651-4006

Sen Scott Wiener

916-651-4011

Sen. Durazo

916-651-4026

Sen. Caballero

916-651-4014

Sen Allen

916-651-4024

Sen Ashby

916-651-4008

Sen Stern

916-651-4027

Sen Min

916-651-4037

_______________________________________

For SB407 - CALL TO OPPOSE

Asm Jackson

916-319-2060

Asm. Sanchez

916-319-2071

Asm Alanis

916-319-2022

Asm Arambula

916-319-2031

Asm Bonta

916-319-2018

Asm Bryon

916-319-2055

Asm Calderon

916-319-2056

Asm Garcia

916-319-2036