Gender Identity and Minors
...because this is a topic that impacts many minor children that have exceptional needs we provide information and resources on this topic here...
Legal Cases Briefings and Discussions
Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP (powerpoint)
Questions to consider for students on an IEP as well as students with autism
- Records: It refers to records in which a student can change their name, gender and pronouns and lists special education assessments, IEPs, and 504 plans, among others.
Question: How would a student change an IEP or 504 plan without a parent knowing? Is there a risk that the services are tied to the child’s legal name, and therefore could be withheld or denied to the child if they use their preferred name?
- Eligibility: It states that special education eligibility may be related to “gender identity (e.g., gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, psychosis)” and that this eligibility is an “IEP Team decision.”
Question: How would an IEP team – with a parent – address these issues if the student does not want the parent to know about the name, gender or pronoun change?
- Assessments: The presentation acknowledges difficulties with knowing how to determine the comparative norm group (which gender to use) and states that reports “will likely need to have a cautionary statement explaining deviations from available comparative norms.”
Question: To the assessors out there – do you see this as an issue?
- Disabilities: It references studies where youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder “were 7.59 times more likely to express gender variance than the control group.”
Question: The presentation only refers to how a student with autism may have trouble communicating their gender identity. However, we know that many students with disabilities and intellectual disabilities are more “naïve” and subject to peer pressure. So how does this play into this? How do we know that the gender identity is organic and not due to peer pressure?
Amicus Brief: Foote v. Ludlow School Committee
"An emerging issue in public education is school officials’ secret social-transitioning of minor children in alternate gender identities and deliberately withholding that information from parents.
In this case, the school district in Ludlow, Massachusetts, disregarded parents’ instructions to not discuss gender-identity issues with their children and interfered with the parents’ decision-making through secret online discussions in which a counselor suggested that the children were not safe with their parents. Another staff member actively promoted children’s social transitioning. District officials acted according to a protocol they claimed was required by state educational guidelines and non-discrimination laws.
The parents of two children complained to school administration, only to be publicly disparaged by the superintendent and school board chairman. They sued in federal court, alleging a violation of their constitutional rights (1) to direct the upbringing of their children; (2) to make medical and mental-health decisions for their children; and (3) familial privacy. The district court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss. The Manhattan Institute has filed an amicus brief supporting the parents’ appeal to the First Circuit and presenting medical research showing that social transition is not a neutral act but an active intervention. Its use on children and adolescents in schools falls squarely within parents’ fundamental right to guide their children’s healthcare.
In The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Brief of State of California and 20 Other States March 12, 2024
Motion for Preliminary Injunction CVSW2306224 M. VS KOMROSKY February 23, 2024
"In the case at bar, Policy 5020.01 requires school staff to notify in writing the parents of any student who makes a request under section 1(a) -(c). Notably, the Policy applies equally to all students within the district and does not apply disparately to two or more similarly situated groups. Plaintiffs’ Motion does not address the issue of similarly situated."
California Court Rules in Favor of Temecula Valley Unified School District Over Parental Rights Fight February 23, 2024
"Today, a California Court ruled in favor of the Temecula Valley Unified School District, affirming the district’s parental notification policy and a resolution prohibiting the teaching of critical race theory (CRT). Last year, a lawsuit was filed against the school district by a group of political activists and the Temecula Valley Educators Association, challenging a resolution that restricts false and divisive CRT curriculum and requires teachers to inform parents of their students’ gender transition."
"“I am so proud of our client, Ramona Garcia, the two Mirabelli plaintiffs and their legal team for boldly standing up to the state’s coercive and bullying sexual-industrial complex,” stated Dean Broyles. “The gender emperor has no clothes—and more and more people are realizing that fact every day. Today, I am calling on all faithful teachers across California to find their spiritual spine and take a clear, bold and courageous stand for their religious civil liberties. California is now on notice. Teachers with religious beliefs about human sexuality that conflict with the state’s misguided sexual orthodoxy will no longer be forced to choose between their faith and their jobs. No longer can they be threatened to cower and bow down to or submit to this twisted gender idol out of fear of losing their employment so that they can continue to feed their families.”"
Lawsuit Now Targets CA Governor and AG for Compelling Teachers to Lie to Parents February 5, 2024
"“The California Department of Education tried to have it both ways,” stated Jonna, “on the one hand, they tried to tell the court that their ‘guidance’ on gender identity policies is not mandatory, even though they used words like ‘must’ and ‘required.’ Meanwhile, elsewhere in California, they’re working hand-in-hand with the California Attorney General enforcing this supposedly non-binding ‘guidance’ with litigation and by withholding millions of dollars of state education funds. Fortunately, the court saw through this last September—and the injunction we obtained binds all of the applicable state actors. But because the California AG and the Governor are so connected to this fight, we’re naming them as defendants to hold them fully accountable as well.”"
California Governor and Attorney General Sued by Teachers Forced to Lie to Parents About Student Gender Issues February 1, 2024
"“These previously named defendants are all operating under the supervision and control of the Governor, who has ultimate responsibility for overseeing the state’s education system,” explained attorney Paul Jonna, Thomas More Society Special Counsel and Partner, LiMandri and Jonna LLP. “The Escondido Union School District has asserted that it is compelled by the state to adopt and enforce parental exclusion policies in which California dictates the deception requiring teachers to lie to parent about their students. That leads to the conclusion that the state, and therefore, the Governor is the driving force behind the violation of Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West’s constitutional rights.”"
Judge Orders California District to Reinstate Teachers Who Refused to Hide Students’ Gender Transitions January 11, 2024
"A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a San Diego-area school district to reinstate two teachers who were placed on administrative leave for refusing to keep students’ gender transitions a secret from parents.
The order from Judge Roger Benitez says the teachers, who haven’t been allowed in their classrooms since last May, must be allowed to return by next Tuesday, Jan. 15. In September, Benitez blocked their employer, Escondido Union School District, from forcing them to comply with their policy to socially transition kids to different gender identities behind their parents’ backs....."
"The teachers in the Escondido case are Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West, who were denied a religious exemption from their district’s secrecy policy—which was adopted without any school board or public input. Administrators did not tell parents that it was in place, according to legal filings that also reveal a district social worker telling staff that parents and guardians "do not have a legitimate need for the information" about their child’s gender identity.
Attorneys for the school district instructed Mirabelli and West to stonewall any parent who might ask them about their child’s gender identity. At the same time, school counselors were guiding students’ gender transitions, using a "gender support plan" for the children and broadcasting to staff through regular emails which kids to start socially transitioning and how to conceal the fact from their parents.
Attorney General Bonta Issues Legal Alert Warning School Districts Against Forced Outing Policies January 10, 2024
"In today’s alert, Attorney General Bonta stresses that forced gender identity disclosure policies infringe on several state protections safeguarding students’ civil and constitutional rights, including:
- California’s Equal Protection Clause: These policies unlawfully discriminate against and single out students who request to identify with or use names or pronouns different from those on their birth certificates, or who access programs or facilities that, in the view of the board, are not “aligned” with the student’s gender.
- California’s Education and Government Code: Education is a fundamental right in California, and California Education Code Sections 200 and 220 and Government Code section 11135 also ensure equal rights and opportunities for every student by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. Forced disclosure policies violate these fundamental anti-discrimination protections.
- California’s constitutional right to privacy: California’s constitution expressly protects the right to “privacy,” including both “informational privacy,” and “autonomy privacy,” and policies that mandates outing transgender and gender-nonconforming students against their wishes or without their consent violates that right."
ACLU, more than 20 civil rights organizations back lawsuit against Temecula Valley Unified December 15, 2023
"Following in California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s footsteps, the ACLUs of Southern and Northern California along with more than 20 other civil rights and LGBTQ+ rights organizations have issued an amicus brief to halt the enforcement of Temecula Valley Unified School District’s policies that censor instruction on race and gender as well as its policy that requires employees to notify parents if their child shows signs of being transgender. "
‘Groundbreaking Legal Victory’: Court Rules School Cannot Trans Kids Without Parental Consent October 3, 2023
"A Waukesha County Circuit Court ruled Tuesday in favor of Wisconsin parents, deciding that a Wisconsin school district “abrogated” parents’ rights when it decided to socially “affirm” their daughter as a transgender boy against their wishes.
Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, two sets of Wisconsin parents had sued Kettle Moraine School District, accusing the district of violating their parental rights by “adopting a policy to allow, facilitate, and affirm a minor student’s request to transition to a different gender identity at school without parental consent and even over the parents’ objection.”
Circuit Court Judge Michael Maxwell granted the parents’ motion for summary judgment Monday, ruling on the merits of the case without a trial. His ruling and order, which the clerk filed Tuesday, said that the case dealt with “whether a school district can supplant a parent’s right to control the healthcare and medical decisions for their children.”
“The well established case law in that regard is clear,” he ruled. “Kettle Moraine can not.”
The judge concluded: “The current policy of handling these issues on a case-by-case basis without either notifying the parents or by disregarding the parents’ wishes is not permissible and violates fundamental parental rights.”
Maxwell ruled in favor of the parents and issued an order preventing Kettle Moraine School District from “allowing or requiring staff to refer to students using a name or pronouns at odds with the student’s biological sex, while at school, without express parental consent.”"
Attorney General Bonta: Temporary Restraining Order Against Chino Valley’s Forced Disclosure Policy Remains in Full Effect September 26, 2023
"California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued guidance addressed to all California Superintendents and school board members reminding them that the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the San Bernardino Superior Court on September 6, 2023, against the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education’s (Board) mandatory gender identity disclosure policy (Policy 5020.1) remains in full force and effect. "
'A Trifecta of Harm': Federal Judge Says California School District Can't Force Teachers To Lie to Parents About Gender Identity September 15, 2023
""The school’s policy is a trifecta of harm: it harms the child who needs parental guidance and possibly mental health intervention to determine if the incongruence is organic or whether it is the result of bullying, peer pressure, or a fleeting impulse," U.S. District Court judge Roger Benitez wrote. "It harms the parents by depriving them of the long recognized Fourteenth Amendment right to care, guide, and make health care decisions for their children. And finally, it harms plaintiffs who are compelled to violate the parent’s rights by forcing plaintiffs to conceal information they feel is critical for the welfare of their students.""
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
ELIZABETH MIRABELLI, an individual, and LORI ANN WEST, an individual,
v.
MARK OLSON, in his official capacity as President of the EUSD Board of Education, et al.,
Defendants.
ORDER:
(1) GRANTING MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION;
(2) DENYING MOTIONS TO DISMISS September 14, 2023
The Parental Rights Foundation Goes to Court September 14, 2023
"Since public schools are run by the government, they are bound by the restrictions of the Constitution. Keeping secrets from parents about their child’s mental and social health undermines the constitutionally protected fundamental liberty interest, long recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court, that parents have in their children’s care.
Our brief, which you can read here, lays out the history of the Court’s recognition of these fundamental parental rights. Then we point out the obvious: parents cannot exercise these constitutionally protected rights if government agents (such as public-school teachers or administrators) are allowed to keep major secrets from parents about the children in their charge."
California judge halts school district’s ‘outing’ policy for trans students September 6, 2023
"A California judge temporarily halted a recent policy by the Chino Valley Unified School District that required the schools to notify a student's parents when the student requests to be identified and treated as a gender other than their biological sex.
California Superior Court Judge Thomas Garza issued a temporary restraining order from the bench Wednesday that prevents the school district from implementing the policy until a more detailed hearing next month."
California judge halts district policy requiring parents be told if kids change pronouns September 6, 2023
"A judge on Wednesday halted a Southern California school district from requiring parents to be notified if their children change their gender identification or pronouns at school.
San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Thomas S. Garza ruled after California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Chino Valley Unified School District for adopting a policy requiring schools to tell parents when their children change their pronouns or use a bathroom of a gender other than the one listed on their official paperwork."
Mother, Daughter to Receive $100,000 Settlement in Landmark Secret Gender-Transition Case September 3, 2023
"Alicia said she feels “extremely bad” for other children who were socially transitioned at school.
“That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to come out and speak about this case, because I want to be a voice for the people who feel like they don’t have a voice,” she said.
Ms. Konen said the school staff took advantage of her daughter’s young mind and vulnerable state, which she called “a form of brainwashing,” and didn’t tell her that Alicia was having suicidal thoughts.
If parents are kept in the dark about their children’s problems, they won’t be able to help support them or get them the therapy that they need, she said.
“It’s extremely dangerous,” Ms. Konen said, “What if something happens that is irreversible? … If a child only has the support of schools, what happens when they go home? What happens when they have those bad days? What happens when they’re confused at home?”
The best way to prevent youth suicides is for school staff and parents to work together, she said.
“If everyone’s included, then that is in the best interest of the child—not hiding it,” Ms. Konen said. “The secret stuff has to go.”"
States Sue School Boards Over Parental Rights August 31, 2023
"The Parental Rights Foundation holds no position on the issue of gender identity or its proper treatment or response. However, we believe this much is perfectly clear: no government actor should be keeping secrets from parents about the health and welfare of the parent’s minor child.
Unfortunately, Bonta doesn’t get it.....
According to its Troxell v. Granville decision, “the liberty interest…of parents in the care, custody, and control of their children is perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by [the Supreme] Court.” Yet, Bonta clearly isn’t concerned with those rights at all.
Instead, he claims that telling parents what their young children are going through “wrongfully endangers” them. How so?
According to the Supreme Court in Parham v. J.R., “The law’s concept of the family rests on a presumption that parents possess what a child lacks in maturity, experience, and capacity for judgment required for making life’s difficult decisions. More important, historically it has recognized that natural bonds of affection lead parents to act in the best interests of their children.”
Bonta would have us presume the opposite. His position seems to be that “governmental power should supersede parental authority in all cases because some parents abuse and neglect children.” But the Supreme Court (again in Parham) called that very idea a “statist notion that…is repugnant to American tradition.”
And we agree.
What’s more, so does federal law.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects the privacy and confidentiality of a student’s educational records, places parents of minor children squarely inside the bubble of privacy with their child.
FERPA establishes that parents, with their children, are due certain privacy protections of their child’s records.
Instead, Bonta in California and Attorney General Paula Dow in New Jersey both seek to place school officials inside the bubble and kick the parents out.
Ironically, coming from one claiming unconstitutional discrimination against sexual and gender minority students, Bonta seems particularly focused on robbing only the LGBTQ+ students of the safeguards and wisdom their parents can provide in the face of overreaching government officials.
We believe all children, regardless of their sexual or gender identification, have the right to be protected and defended by their parents who love them."
Federal hearing for Escondido teacher's lawsuit involving gender identity disclosure in schools August 30, 2023
"However, the attorney for the teachers says this is lying to parents, and it creates more harm.
“This directly violates their faith to deceive parents and show an example to kids, it’s ok, as important as this is, to keep from parents,” said Paul Jonna, Thomas More Society's special counsel.
The federal judge hasn’t ruled but consistently told the court, in part, that children are too young to make that decision and parents have the right to know.
The California Department of Education declined to comment.
The judge did not give a date when he’d rule on a preliminary injunction."
As culture wars escalate, California officials push back on conservative school board policies CalMatters August 29, 2023
"California’s culture wars escalated Monday as the state sued a school district over its transgender student policy, and a parents’ group took the first step toward placing a trio of initiatives on next year’s ballot that would restrict protections for transgender youth."
California is suing to stop schools from outing trans kids to their parents August 28, 2023
"Bonta, in his lawsuit, argues the policy infringes on several state protections, including California’s equal protection clause, the state education and government code, and California’s constitutional right to privacy."
The National Center for Law and Policy Re: A Response to California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s Misguided Targeting of
CVUSD and the Model Parent Notification Policy August 8, 2023
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, EX REL. ROB BONTA, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, Plaintiff, v. CHINO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, Defendant.
Bonta opens investigation into Chino Valley school district policy to notify parents about LGBTQ+ students August 4, 2023
"On Friday, the attorney general moved past rhetoric and declared he was opening a civil rights investigation into the district.
“Today’s announcement stresses our commitment to challenging school policies that target and seek to discriminate against California’s most vulnerable communities,” Bonta said in a statement Friday. “California will not stand for violations of our students’ civil rights.”"
Supreme Court lets stand ruling that protects people with gender dysphoria under disability law June 30, 2023
"In its ruling in August, the 4th Circuit became the first federal appellate court in the country to find the 1990 landmark disabilities law protects transgender people who experience anguish and other symptoms as a result of the disparity between their assigned sex and their gender identity.
Under the ruling, people with gender dysphoria are entitled under the ADA to receive reasonable accommodations and are protected from discrimination. Advocates see the ruling as a tool they can use to challenge legislation in a growing number of states aimed at restricting access to gender-affirming medical care and other accommodations for transgender people.
“The overwhelming majority of Americans support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQIA+ people, and today’s decision means the ADA remains a mechanism that can help our communities secure those protections,” Hunt said.
The ruling is binding only in the states covered by the Richmond-based 4th Circuit — Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia."
Legal Opinion Memorandum in Strong Support of the Model California Parent Notification Policy
National Center for Law & Policy June 14, 2023
Transgender students' privacy should be protected, says MD Attorney General
"BALTIMORE — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is the latest to join a coalition in a brief supporting schools' abilities to protect the privacy of transgender students who have shared their identity with school staff.
The brief argues in support of the Ludlow, Massachusetts school district’s practice of only sharing information on a student’s transgender or gender-nonconforming identity with the student’s parents if the student consents."
ADF to 1st Circuit: Protect parents' right to raise children without govt interference
“Parents—not government officials—have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, care, and education of their children. Yet the Ludlow School Committee has joined a troubling trend of school districts enacting gender-identity policies that exclude parents from any knowledge or involvement in key decisions regarding their children’s care and education. As we explain in our brief, Ludlow School Committee officials blatantly disregarded parents’ rights, acting as if government-run schools are more appropriate guardians of children than their own moms and dads. When public school officials violate parental rights, it’s vulnerable children who suffer. We urge the 1st Circuit to affirm the constitutional protections parents have so they can make the best decisions for their own kids.”
"California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in an amicus brief in support of the Ludlow School Committee’s efforts to create a safe and supportive environment for transgender children and all students. The Ludlow School Committee in Massachusetts is currently facing a challenge to its policy that seeks to prevent the unnecessary disclosure of a student’s gender identity, while also striving to include families in creating a safe school environment for transgender students. In the friend-of-the-court brief, the attorneys general reiterate the role of states in supporting safe, inclusive school environments that help all children learn, thrive, and grow into contributing members of society."
NO. 23-1069
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
LUDLOW SCHOOL COMMITTEE; TODD GAZDA, FORMER SUPERINTENDENT; LISA NEMETH, INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT; STACY MONETTE, PRINCIPAL, BAIRD MIDDLE SCHOOL; MARIE-CLAIRE FOLEY, SCHOOL COUNSELOR, BAIRD MIDDLE SCHOOL; JORDAN FUNKE, FORMER LIBRARIAN, BAIRD MIDDLE SCHOOL; AND TOWN OF LUDLOW, Defendants-Appellees.
State of Wisconsin EXPERT AFFIDAVIT OF DR. STEPHEN B. LEVINE, MD
B.F., T.F., P.W. AND S.W., Plaintiffs,
CIRCUIT COURT BRANCH 4
WAUKESHA COUNTY
FILED
02-03-2023
Clerk of Circuit Court Waukesha County 2021CV001650
v.
KETTLE MORAINE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Defendant.
STATE OF WISCONSIN EXPERT AFFIDAVIT OF DR. ERICA E. ANDERSON, PhD
B.F., T.F., P.W. AND S.W., Plaintiffs,
CIRCUIT COURT BRANCH 4
WAUKESHA COUNTY
FILED
02-03-2023
Clerk of Circuit Court Waukesha County 2021CV001650
v.
KETTLE MORAINE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Case No. 21-CV-1650
Defendant.
Parental Notification Board Policy
Coalition for Parental Rights (California)
California judge sides with AG Rob Bonta over proposed trans youth ballot measure’s title April 20, 2024
"“Under current law, minor students have express statutory rights with respect to their gender identity,” Acquisto wrote. “A substantial portion of the proposed measure is dedicated to eliminating or restricting these statutory rights.”
“Petitioners contend that their preferred title ... should have been used to avoid prejudicial effect, because ‘protect’ does not carry a negative connotation that ‘restrict’ carries,” he wrote. “But the term ‘protect’ is abstract because it does not describe in specific or concrete terms what the proposed measure would actually do.
“And whether the measure would actually ‘protect’ kids is subjective and debatable,” adding that the language “appears” to a violation of the election code.
“The Attorney General’s wording, on the other hand, provides an accurate description of the immediate and tangible effect of the proposed measure,” Acquisto wrote.
Acquisto will give the case further thought before issuing a formal decision.
“It bodes well for the petitioners that the judge did not adopt his tentative from the bench,” said Protect Kids organizer Erin Friday. “But after listening to the arguments from both sides, took the matter under submission. He also accepted petitioners’ alternative title and summary as part of his reconsideration of the matter.”"
Conservative California school board members ousted after trans-related parental notification policies March 24, 2024
"The Orange Unified School District board members last year passed a measure to inform parents when their children identify as transgender.
The school district said it was considering the policy in the name of protecting the "fundamental rights" of parents and guardians to be involved and informed about their children’s lives.
The policies prompted teachers and locals to launch a recall against Ledesma and Miner."
Parental notification policies split opinions of California courts, Department of Education March 13, 2024
"But two superior court judges and one federal judge have sided with similar parental notification policies the CDE called discriminatory."....
"Protect Kids CA, a parents’ rights activist group, is collecting signatures for a ballot proposition in November, the Protect Kids of California Act, which would enforce a statewide parental notification policy, prevent trans kids from playing sports on teams that don’t align with their biological sex, and bar any trans minor from receiving gender-affirming health care, whether their parents support it or not. As the group collects signatures, they are also suing Bonta for what they call a mischaracterization of the initiative; Bonta’s office has titled it the “Restricts Rights of Transgender Youth” initiative.
In the meantime, voters appear to have supported the recall of parents’ rights school board members, which may indicate that the tide is turning on such board policies."
Chino Valley revamps parental notification policy; LGBTQ+ allies fear legal escalation EdSource March 8, 2024
"Unlike the original policy adopted in July, the new policy does not use words like “gender” or “bathroom.” Instead, it broadly states that school officials should notify parents in writing, within three days, if their child requests to change any information in their official or unofficial record."
Statement by the Liberty Justice Center Regarding Chino Valley Unified School District’s Updated Parental Notification Policy March 8, 2024
"The updated policy, passed on March 7, maintains the District’s original requirement that school administrators notify parents within three days if their child requests changes to their official or unofficial records, but removed language from the policy requiring staff to notify parents when a student requests to use a bathroom or pronouns that differ from their sex at birth."
Despite Federal Ruling, State Threatens Rocklin Schools Over Parent Notification Policy February 14, 2024
"Despite a federal court ruling against a southern California school district’s gender secrecy policy, the California Department of Education (CDE) ruled last week against the Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD) for its parent notification policy on gender. The CDE investigation report claimed Rocklin’s newly enacted rule, requiring parents to be notified if their child starts publicly identifying as another gender, violated education codes related to discrimination and student privacy.
If the district doesn’t take corrective action, the CDE will take action under Cal. Code Regs., tit. 5 § 4670, which permits “the withholding of all or part of the local agency’s relevant state or federal support…” "
VIDEO: California Charter School Network Restores Parental Rights! December 1, 2023
Elias: Transgender students California’s latest state-local conflict November 25, 2023
"The stated fear of LGBTQ+ leaders and their allies like Newsom is that some children exhibiting transgender tendencies would become victims of parental violence if they were “outed.” Opponents of the schools’ recent rule changes believe children only hide their transgender tendencies and wishes from parents if they fear such violence.
They believe schools should protect children’s interests over parental authority. Meanwhile, lower court judges have differed on whether the state or local districts have ultimate authority on these issues."
Transphobic, anti-LGBTQ+ ‘parents’ rights’ groups are waging a war on our children (Opinion) October 29, 2023
"If anyone is waging a war on children, it is these transphobic, anti-LGBTQ+ groups. They are waging a war against mental health care for our kids, against the dissemination of information to students and against the creation of a safe, welcoming environment for trans youth and their families. Their “concern” for the safety of the children in our beautiful state does not appear to extend to LGBTQ+ and trans youth. These youth need mental health care, information and sanctuary."
CA Funding LGBTQ+ Group Fighting Parental Notification October 28, 2023
"Christensen argues that the deck is heavily stacked against his side because parents are already fighting the deep-pocketed teacher unions who back many of the policies parents’ rights groups have tried to fight, including extended COVID school shutdowns that kept students in virtual learning longer than many other states.
On top of that, the leaders of Equality California, which is more ideologically aligned with the Democrats who run the state, “feel like it’s their right and duty to extract money from taxpayers to help amplify their views,” he argued.
“The fact of the matter is, most parents are well aware of the positions these groups have,” he said. “They just aren’t aware that their tax dollars are going to subsidize these activities.” "
Judge bars Chino Valley Unified from outing transgender students to parents October 19, 2023
"In court Thursday, Judge Michael Sachs ruled the policy’s first two provisions forcing outing transgender students to their parents are discriminatory based on sex, violating the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
The third provision, however, is “neutral facing,” Sachs ruled, because it affects all students, not just those seeking gender-affirming accommodations.
The final provision of the policy, he added, “is a circumstance in which the students are making this information a voluntary addition to their school records not a mandated obligation.”"
Liberty Justice Center Defends Parents and Students in Hearing on California v. Chino Valley Unified School District October 19, 2023
"As the hearing concluded, Judge Sachs rejected the Attorney General’s application for a preliminary injunction against the policy in part and granted it in part. This ruling will temporarily halt the district from enforcing parts A and B of the policy while litigation is ongoing, but allow them to enforce part C"
How conservatives are waging a coordinated, anti-LGBTQ+ culture war in California schools October 15, 2023
"They have tapped into a vein of concern among parents — even some liberal ones — who are struggling with the fact that students experiment with gender identity at school, that some will pursue gender-affirming medical care, and that state law places limits on how gender identity can be shared with parents."
Parental rights weighed in court cases across the country CSBA October 11, 2023
"In the future, higher courts may consider these specific cases on appeal and provide clarification and additional guidance on parents’ rights, especially as they relate to the rights of transgender and gender nonconforming students. For now, each case provides differing insight into how courts may consider teacher, parent, and student rights." (Regino and Mirabelli)
An OC School District Adopts New Parent Alert Policy; Will it Impact LGBTQ+ Students? October 11, 2023
"Instead, Placentia-Yorba Linda school board officials voted 3-2 Tuesday night to adopt a parental notification policy centered on reporting students who may pose a “clear and present danger” to themselves or others.
“This is a tool to be able to make sure that our parents are informed about things all the way from disruption of student learning up through extreme situations,” board member Todd Frazier said.
“It’s not an outing policy, it’s parent communication.”"
The right of parents to raise their own children should not be up for debate October 6, 2023
"It’s troubling that the path these lawmakers chose is regarding transgender students because these students are in fact more vulnerable and more prone to suicide. Making the conversation a parents vs. children debate is not helping them. Yes, these students do have greater mental health challenges, are at greater risk of suicide AND have been shown to have the best outcomes when parents are involved."
"Momentum does not favor lying to parents or concealing important information from them. Oh, how the tables have turned in less than three months. Now, the dominant narrative has become that school boards who continue to maintain unconstitutional parental gender secrecy policies had better start paying close attention. If they fail to act and adopt a constitutional parental notification policy, they are putting their district at significant legal, financial and existential risk. Continue to disrespect and ignore parents and they will continue to hemorrhage students and funding. Continue to foolishly violate fundamental rights secured by the U.S. Constitution and school districts will be the deserving target of civil rights lawsuits from harmed parents, harmed teachers and harmed students. "
LGBTQ+ students in conservative crosshairs October 5, 2023
"Proponents of the parental notification policies have said that parents have the right to know what is going on with their children at school and that minors do not have a right to privacy."
Placer County school officials are punishing transgender kids for being trans September 9, 2023
"“If this policy passes tonight, I won’t comply,” Mougeotte said. “I’m not going to follow a policy that breaks trust with my students that endangers their lives. I won’t out any student for any reason.”"
Communists demand end to 'Christian fascism' at chaotic school board meeting over parental notification policy September 9, 2023
""We're getting organized for a real revolution to get rid of the system," she told the audience. "Any kind of trying to negotiate with any of these fascists in the room, on the board, is illegitimate."
She then called for anyone "with humanity for LGBTQ people" to "get ready for a revolution to overthrow this whole system that gave birth to this White supremacy and this male supremacy.""
Lance Christensen: Honesty is the best parental notification policy September 3, 2023
"Indeed, the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently said that parents, not schools, possess the fundamental right to raise their children, and to direct activities and make decisions regarding the child’s care and control, education, health and religion. The court calls this constellation of parental interests “essential” and has declared parental rights among the “basic civil rights of man.”The relationship between a parent and teacher is sacrosanct as parents entrust their precious children to teachers hoping they receive an education, not social reconditioning. Eroding the trust between parents and teachers because of a dubious reading of state law is serious and troubling.
Requiring teachers and schools to lie to parents is also unethical. Secrecy not only creates a schism between parents and teachers, but among teachers who find it reprehensible to lie and their employers. It also leaves students to grapple with whom they should trust.
Public school administrators and teachers are part-time and limited caretakers of our children and they need to be full and honest partners with parents and perpetuate policies that promote maximum transparency among the parties in order to safeguard children and provide them the best academic outcomes.
That is the proper role of our public schools that parents expect and that the law requires. And honesty is always the best parental notification policy."
Lacking political power in California, conservatives turn focus to local school boards LA Times August 15, 2023
"An organization called the Coalition for Parental Rights — which includes several Christian and conservative advocacy groups — has sprung up and is looking to advance the gender notification policy across California, said Jonathan Zachreson, a Roseville City School District board member who organized parents during the pandemic to fight school closures and mask and vaccine policies.
Conservative and parent groups are also in the early stages of crafting statewide ballot initiatives, Zachreson said. The proposals include a transgender parental notification policy, a measure involving transgender students in sports and a proposal on medical procedures for transgender youth."
Can teachers be legally liable if district policy requires they break the law? EdSource August 15, 2023
"Andrea Johnston, Chino Valley Unified director of communications, said school staff received training on the new board policy before the first day of school and that staff who adhere to district policies will be protected and supported.
“At this time, the district is not clear how educators can be held liable for upholding district policies since none are contrary to current state laws and policies,” Johnston stated in an email."
PYLUSD board votes to leave the California School Board Association August 9, 2023
"Superintendent Alex Cherniss, who joined the district in May, said the decision to break from the state association has been in the works for a while, adding he is positive its a good move for the district.
“Unfortunately, 99.9% of districts do not question the cost and value of CSBA, and simply rubber stamp this membership. That is just wrong,” Cherniss said. “As superintendent, I have already asked staff to evaluate the cost, purpose and effectiveness of all organizational memberships, professional development opportunities, conferences, etc.”
PYLUSD was paying $30,000 per year to be in the association, and that is just “too much for a district,” he said.
Membership in the CSBA offers school districts and their boards a “voice in public education throughout California,” the association says on its website. The CSBA will often advocate for funding for schools and provides various trainings and conferences for teachers, administrators and board members.
“The board must determine what level of ‘voice’ represents their views and again, is it worth the cost,” said Cherniss. “Is their voice heard? Does the organization respond to their inquiries? Is the annual conference, which is paid on top of membership fees for another $15,000 to 25,000, worth their time?”
Board members Leandra Blades, Todd Frazier and Shawn Youngblood supported leaving the CSBA, with Blades calling it a “lobbyist” organization.
“CSBA has lobbied against what parents want,” she said. “From what I have read, our membership fees will go against a certain political party and disparage a political party. We should be making sure everything is for the kids and keeping politics out of it.”"
Coalition Congratulates CVUSD Board for Protecting Students by Protecting Parental Rights PRESS RELEASE July 21, 2023
Gov. Newsom’s School Board Showdown July 26, 2023
"Conservative groups, however, point to a California law, AB 1266, which requires that students be permitted to participate in school programs and sports and use facilities consistent with their gender identities. They argue that it says nothing about requiring students to hide gender information from parents and that school districts are simply adopting policies of not disclosing gender or sexual identities to parents based on the Department of Education’s interpretation of the law in the FAQ section on its website.
They note that it explicitly requires notifying parents and legal guardians of career counseling and course selection for certain grades. After the mid-summer school board fights, the legal wrangling will only heat up once the school year begins.
The Coalition for Parental Rights applauded the Chino Valley school board for adopting a “policy that acknowledges the important role parents play in the emotional health of their children.” "
California Voters Support Parental Rights by Overwhelming Margins June 12, 2023
"If such a law included notifying parents of a child identifying, requesting to identify, or being treated as a gender that doesn’t align with their biological sex, 62% of California voters would be more likely to support it, including 46% who would be Much More Likely to support the parental notification law. Twenty-seven percent (27%) would be less likely to support it."
Parental Rights Pledge Campaign
Understanding the Legislative Process
2024 Legislation
SB-957 Data collection: sexual orientation and gender identity.
School Districts that have passed a Parental Notification Board Policy
Chino Valley Unified School District *Updated Board Policy* March 7, 2024
Roseville Joint Union High School District November 9, 2023
Classical Academy October 30, 2023
Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District October 10, 2023
Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District September 14, 2023
Orange Unified School District September 7, 2023
Rocklin Unified School District Nondiscrimination Harassment September 6, 2023
Temecula Valley Unified School District August 22, 2023
Anderson Union High School District August 22, 2023
Murrieta Valley Unified School District August 10, 2023
Chino Valley Unified School District Board Policy 5020.1 Parental Notification Adopted July 20, 2023
Chino Valley Unified School District Administrative Regulation 5145.3 Nondiscrimination Harassment of Students Revised July 20, 2023
Curriculum, Instructional Materials and Books
California Bill Restricting Kids’ Access to Books with Sexual Content Dies in Senate Committee April 19, 2024
"California lawmakers killed a bill April 17 that would have required school districts to restrict books with “harmful” sexual content from elementary and middle school classrooms and libraries.
Senate Bill 1435, introduced by Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh in February, would have required school boards to restrict books with content considered harmful under California Penal Code 313 from being accessed by children below eighth grade.
The penal code describes “harmful matter” as content that “depicts or describes in a patently offensive way sexual conduct and which, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.”
The bill failed in the Senate Education Committee as members voted 3-2, with two abstentions, against advancing it."
How to Look Up Age Inappropriate Book Content In School Libraries A Guide
School libraries have become the battleground for the hearts and minds of our children January 25, 2024
"It is important to note that distributing such materials off school grounds would be considered a criminal act, yet exposing children to them during school hours is somehow justified as “educational.” This glaring double standard raises serious concerns about the protection of our children within the confines of the educational system."
The trans bill that wasn’t September 21, 2023
"“We want to make sure that we’re prepared to engage in public education about this that’s effective and that helps people understand this isn’t about harming relationships with their kids,” said Assemblymember Rick Zbur, the former executive director of Equality California.
Another factor in the decision was input from Newsom’s office, according to two members of the LGBTQ Caucus who were granted anonymity to speak about internal discussions.
The lawmakers said the caucus had been divided between two factions: One that favored quick action and another that wanted to take a more measured approach.
That’s when Newsom’s office intervened. Chief of Staff Dana Williamson and Legislative Affairs Secretary Christy Bouma held a conference call with leaders of the LGBTQ Caucus about pausing their effort, according to the two legislators who spoke on condition of anonymity and were briefed on the call. Days later, lawmakers opted to shelve the bill.
From the perspective of Newsom’s administration, it was less of an ask to hold the bill and more of a conversation about how to approach the issue thoughtfully, according to an administration official with knowledge of the call who was granted anonymity to discuss a private meeting."
you don't own your kids? September 21, 2023
"just what is the actual claim being made here by the “you don’t own your kids” folks?
are they arguing that someone else does? the tribe? the school? the state?
it’s an idea that’s been tried and is common in totalitarian systems like fascism, communism, or a variety of authoritarian or theocratic structures from kings to tibetan llamas (themselves prolific stealers of children and owners of slaves).
it’s a sort of bedrock notion to many autocratic systems where the kids are the property of the state and owe it and not their family fealty. dogma driven dictators do not like competing power centers."
-Legal Update
- Law and Public Schools
- Existing Parent Education Rights
- Curriculum and Instructional Materials - School Libraries
And Opportunities for Family Engagement in EGUSD
September 19, 2023
Parents, students of Elk Grove Unified debate parental rights, book bans at meeting September 19, 2023
"Parents and students spoke their minds about what they consider to be controversial books and reading materials at Elk Grove Unified School District libraries Tuesday night.
People packed the district's Board of Education meeting to denounce books they say contain explicit material, calling for them to be banned from the libraries."
Unmasking “Common Sense Media” September 6, 2023
"As parents, we deserve access to diverse perspectives and honest reviews that reflect a range of opinions. It’s not about left or right. It’s about ensuring our kids are exposed to content that is appropriate for their age and maturity. You may pretend to be on our side, but we see you for what you are. Frauds. I, along with many others, will never use your site again."
'This is really graphic': Indian River County School Board removes dozens of books, at the public's request August 29, 2023 FLORIDA
"Under Florida law, an interruption made by the chairperson during a reading calls for the book to be immediately taken off the shelves. And that's what happened every time."
Gavin Newsom quickly intervened on banned textbooks. Why not school closures? August 6, 2023
"Newsom declared the board to be “radicalized zealots” and said, “If the school board won’t do its job by its next board meeting to ensure kids start the school year with basic materials, the state will deliver the book into the hands of children and their parents – and we’ll send the district the bill and fine them for violating state law.”
Newsom’s threats worked as the Temecula school board backed down. However, his lightning-fast crackdown on Temecula sharply contrasts with what happened three years ago on a much more important clash – whether to reopen schools shuttered due to COVID-19."
Ending Censorship of Public School Curriculum by Temecula School Board Public Counsel MAE M. V. KOMROSKY August 2, 2023
"The Temecula students, parents, and educators are represented by Public Counsel and Ballard Spahr LLP, with the support of the California Teachers Association (CTA)."
Stop escalating culture battles that are dividing our schools July 26, 2023
"Shrill political theater also runs against parents’ own sentiments. Nearly three-fifths prefer that educators limit transgender and sexual identity content in classrooms. At the same time, more than three-quarters say, “My child’s school does a good job keeping me informed about the curriculum, including potentially controversial topics,” according to an April 2022 national poll.
Newsom could win greater national repute by devising a strategy for lifting student learning, still lagging far behind two years after schools emerged from the pandemic. Let’s prioritize whether children are learning to read, not stoke divisions over what they are reading."
Gov. Newsom’s School Board Showdown July 26, 2023
"Democrats in the legislature are pressing forward with a bill, AB 1078, that would grant them more power to prevent school boards from rejecting state-developed curricula and rules. Given the spate of fierce school board battles, conservatives worry that liberal lawmakers will fast-track the measure once they return from their month-long summer break in mid-August.
“We’ve never seen this level of involvement by a California governor into local districts where there is supposed to be local control,” Marlo Tucker, California state director of Concerned Women for America, told RCP. “The threats appear to be an attempt to intimidate boards into compliance with [California Department of Education] directives. For boards dominated by a more left-leaning majority, they will probably strengthen their resolve to do so. For boards like those in Chino Valley, the effect may be just the opposite.”"
Temecula Valley Unified reverses course and adopts state-approved social studies curriculum EdSource July 22, 2023
"After vowing to defy pressure from Gov. Gavin Newsom, Temecula Valley Unified’s school board reversed itself and adopted social studies textbooks for elementary grades, while also voting to exclude a chapter that highlights civil rights, including the gay rights movement."...
"“Newsom, Thurmond, Bonta, they are salivating for us to make a mistake,” Komrosky said. “So, for me, I want to make the right decision. We do not have curriculum. We are three weeks out (from the start of school). This is just my concern. What I’m saying is we have to take action that’s legal, not illegal, to avoid litigation.”"
Governor Newsom Issues Statement on Temecula Textbooks July 21, 2023
"Friday’s decision by the school board to adopt an up-to-date history and social studies curriculum comes following multiple demands by Governor Newsom. Following a series of prior actions, earlier this week the Governor announced the state would fine the school district and enter into a contract to secure textbooks if the board failed to adopt a legally-compliant social study curriculum.
The Temecula Valley Unified School District board majority’s actions are being investigated by the California Department of Education. On June 7, 2023, Attorney General Bonta and Governor Newsom announced an inquiry into the district by the California Department of Justice related to civil rights violations."
Temecula board again votes to reject textbooks, despite warnings from Newsom EdSource July 19, 2023
"The Temecula Valley Unified school board did not back down Tuesday from its previous decision to reject Social Studies Alive textbooks recommended by a committee of its teachers, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s warnings that the district could be sanctioned if it didn’t use the updated state-approved curriculum.
In May, the school board voted 3-2 not to use the Social Studies Alive!” textbooks, published by Teachers Curriculum Institute, in grades one to five. Some board members objected to supplemental material to the textbook that included gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Tuesday’s vote was again 3-2."
This bill will make it harder for California school boards to ban books — and it’s picking up steam among lawmakers July 11, 2023
"AB 1078 was created in response to a Southern Californian school district, Temecula Valley Unified, banning a social studies curriculum because it included information about gay rights activist Harvey Milk. One of the first openly gay elected officials in the country, Milk served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors until his assassination in 1978."
Local control touted by opponents of California bill on school book bans July 5, 2023
(AB 1078)
"Supporters of the bill, including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, argued Assembly Bill 1078 wouldn’t prohibit a school district from removing a book. However, districts could face consequences — like a monetary fee — if materials are removed for discriminatory reasons.
Opponents of the bill said it would remove local control from school boards and strip them of their power."
New taskforce aims to address diversity in curriculum and more (CSBA) June 22, 2023
"CSBA has sample policies available to help member school districts and county offices of education uphold their concurrent obligations to the law and to the interests of their communities..."
Educational Rights and Requests to Remove Instructional Materials Governor Newsom June 1, 2023
California Parents Union Response Letter June 3, 2023
LGBTQ+ clubs in schools
LGBTQ+ club allegedly created by teacher causes controversy at Elk Grove elementary school March 5, 2024
"CBS13 spoke with a legal expert who said the UBU club will need to abide by the same rules as all the other school clubs, and if the district notifies parents about other clubs, it would need to do the same in this case."
Gender Articles
The Cass Review Won’t Fade Away April 22, 2024
"As much as I’d like to provide a tidy or hopeful ending, I can’t. I do know that at a certain point, professional organizations that want to retain even a modicum of credibility will have no choice but to remove their heads from their sand. The AAP is working on its own systematic review of these treatments, and it has no good outcomes available to it. The choice appears to be between a headache and a disaster: If the systematic review is competently conducted and concurs with all those other systematic reviews, GLAAD will be mad for a few days—maybe it will park a truck somewhere!—and that will be a headache. If the AAP’s findings break from the rest of the civilized medical world, that would be a disaster for the organization. In the long run, institutions and figures will be forced to follow the trail blazed by Europe, not out of any sense of moral duty toward trans and gender-nonconforming youth, which was abandoned long ago, but simply because of the sheer brute force of institutional and reputational incentives. The American era of youth gender medicine being “SETTLED SCIENCE!!!” has reached its sunset. "
U.S. Department of Education Releases Final Title IX Regulations, Providing Vital Protections Against Sex Discrimination April 19, 2024
"The final regulations are effective on Aug 1, 2024, and apply to complaints of sex discrimination regarding alleged conduct that occurs on or after that date."
Supreme Court Clears Way, for Now, for Idaho to Ban Transgender Treatment for Minors April 15, 2024
"The Supreme Court temporarily allowed Idaho on Monday to enforce a ban on gender-affirming treatment for minors, effectively suggesting that some justices appear comfortable with wading into another front in the culture wars."
Tennessee lawmakers pass bill criminalizing adults who help minors get transgender procedures April 12, 2024
"Tennessee lawmakers in the state's Senate on Thursday passed a bill on a 25-4 vote that would make it a felony for adults to aid minors in seeking gender transition procedures. It now heads to the GOP-led House, where it is expected to get additional Republican support. "
Most gender-confused children grow out of it, landmark 15-year study concludes - as critics say it shows being trans is usually just a phase for kids Daily Mail April 3, 2024
"'Indeed, we can infer from the DSM 5 [2013] and other sources that as many as 88 percent of gender-dysphoric girls and as many as 98 percent of gender-dysphoric boys in previous generations desisted if allowed to go through natural puberty.
'These two facts make it clear why “gender-affirming care” on minors is such an outrage. It leads, in the end, to sterilization and in many cases to a complete loss of natural sexual function.
'There is no good evidence that this helps minors long term. Moreover, it medicalizes what could very well be temporary psychological symptoms.
'History will judge this medicalized “gender-affirming care” on minors as we now judge eugenics and lobotomies.'"
"We have regulatory bodies to maintain ethical standards, and we therefore call on medical ethics boards across the US and the rest of the world to conduct urgent, unbiased, transparent, and rigorous reviews of the sex-trait modification interventions WPATH endorses. We also call on the APA, the AMA, the AAP, and The Endocrine Society to set politics aside and condemn the pseudoscientific, unethical medical practices of WPATH.
Furthermore, we call upon the US government to launch an official non-partisan inquiry into how an organization with such disregard for medical ethics and the scientific process was ever granted the authority to establish global standards of care in a field of medicine. We advocate for this drastic action due to the unwarranted prestige, undue influence, and resulting danger posed by WPATH."
UK Bans Puberty Blockers For Minors March 12, 2024
"Puberty blockers will no longer be prescribed to minors under age 18 in England outside of regulated clinical trials, the country’s National Health Service announced Tuesday, following an earlier review by the agency, the latest development in the controversial treatment that has sparked protests in the U.S., as well, over gender-affirming care in children."
Freedom of Sex The moral case for letting trans kids change their bodies. March 11, 2024
"The left must reckon with its part in this. It has hung trans rights on the thin peg of gender identity, a concept clumsily adapted from psychiatry and strongly influenced by both gender studies and the born-this-way tactics of the campaign for marriage equality. This has won us modest gains at the level of social acceptance. But we have largely failed to form a coherent moral account of whysomeone’s gender identity should justify the actual biological interventions that make up gender-affirming care. If gender really is an all-encompassing structure of social norms that produces the illusion of sex, critics ask, why would the affirmation of someone’s gender identity entail a change to their biology? As a result, advocates have fallen back on the clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, known until about a decade ago as gender identity disorder, defined as the distress felt at the incongruence of gender identity and biological sex. The idea that trans people fundamentally suffer from a mental illness has long been used by psychiatrists to decide who “qualifies” for transition-related care and who does not. By insisting on the medical validity of the diagnosis, progressives have reduced the question of justice to a question of who has the appropriate disease. In so doing, they have given the anti-trans movement a powerful tool for systematically pathologizing trans kids."
A heated custody battle over a transgender child in California stokes a viral debate LA Times March 4, 2024
"Bendapudi said that in addition to appealing Juhas’ order, they are working on federal legislation that would ban puberty blockers and other gender-affirming care for minors — which they said amount to child abuse and are what they fear the most for A."
EXCLUSIVE: How One Of America’s Largest School Districts Became A Pipeline For A Trans Youth Clinic February 28, 2024
"Emails show that administrators in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) immediately connected the middle school student who wanted testosterone therapy, a medical intervention that threatens to sterilize the user, with medical staff at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles Transyouth clinic, which describes itself as the “largest” transgender clinic in the country. Making the connection was easy — just weeks earlier, at the school district’s request, the transgender clinic gave a presentation to the school on the full menu of “possible interventions for navigating your child’s gender journey.”"
Development of Gender Non-Contentedness During Adolescence and Early Adulthood Archives of Sexual Behavior February 27, 2024
"The results of the current study might help adolescents to realize that it is normal to have some doubts about one’s identity and one’s gender identity during this age period and that this is also relatively common. Furthermore, the insight that gender non-contentedness is relatively common during early adolescence in a general population and youth psychiatric care sample, might provide some perspective to clinicians primarily seeing individuals with intense gender dysphoric feelings and give them a more comprehensive view on the range of developmental patterns of gender identity in the general population and in children receiving youth psychiatric care.
In summary, having the wish to be of the opposite sex is relatively common in this combined general population and clinical sample. Our data indicate associations between experiencing gender non-contentedness and a poorer self-concept and mental health throughout adolescence."
CA classrooms in the middle of culture wars February 14, 2024
"Bruce Fuller, an education professor at UC Berkeley, acknowledged the tension between the state’s duty to protect marginalized groups and the perception of having its own political (or what some now call “woke”) agenda.
- Fuller: “In civil society the state steps into families all the time to help families or to remove kids from abusive homes. So it’s not unprecedented that the state would bump into the rights of parents and families. But… you have to be super careful because otherwise you find yourself in this political tangle that we’re enmeshed in.”"
As Kids, They Thought They Were Trans. They No Longer Do. February 2, 2024
"Instead of promoting unproven treatments for children, which surveys show many Americans are uncomfortable with, transgender activists would be more effective if they focused on a shared agenda. Most Americans across the political spectrum can agree on the need for legal protections for transgender adults. They would also probably support additional research on the needs of young people reporting gender dysphoria so that kids could get the best treatment possible.
A shift in this direction would model tolerance and acceptance. It would prioritize compassion over demonization. It would require rising above culture-war politics and returning to reason. It would be the most humane path forward. And it would be the right thing to do."
Most ‘Transgender’ Kids Turn Out to Be Gay December 14, 2023
"Half a century later, the medical establishment is pushing a new kind of conversion therapy under the guise of transgender identity. No one is suffering more than gay kids. In Canada, where I practice, and in the U.S., physicians provide what’s euphemistically known as “gender-affirming care” to patients as young as 8, and the leading transgender health association has opened the door to interventions at even earlier ages. Under this framework, those who feel uncomfortable with their bodies may receive a medical regimen including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and sex-change surgeries. These interventions typically stunt, remove or irreversibly modify a patient’s sexual development, genitals and secondary sex characteristics. Any endocrinologist or other physician who rejects this approach is alleged to be endangering the health and even the life of his patients."
Non-Affirmation of Child’s “LGBTQI+” Identity Is Abuse Under Proposed Foster Care Rule November 19, 2023
"Despite ACF placing most of the rule’s requirements on agencies, rather than on providers to avoid substantially burdening their religious exercise, the underlying premise of ACF’s proposal is that those who hold to certain religious views of marriage, sexuality, and gender, or who believe “affirmation” is harmful, are unable to provide safe homes for children who identify as LGBTQI+."
Prenatal hormones play a major role in sexual orientation development, according to new research November 17, 2023
"A new scientific paper published in Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology provides evidence that the hormones present during early development in the womb can affect a person’s sexual orientation. These hormones appear to mainly work by influencing gene expression patterns in the developing brain, ultimately influencing whether someone will be attracted to the same or opposite sex."
A Plea for Scholarly Dialogue September 19, 2023
"The most likely explanation for these organizations’ missteps is that gender medicine enthusiasts convinced the already politicized leadership to support a simple, moralized narrative: medicalized and affirmative treatments are evidence-based and life-saving. The AAP policy statement frames resistance to puberty blockers, hormones, or surgeries as discrimination or adherence to disproven and outdated approaches such as watchful waiting. AAP ratifying this document indicated it was willing to tribalize a complex clinical dilemma and was not interested in engaging with good-faith scholarly skepticism. "
Identity Crisis: The Network Behind Gender Identity Ideology September 5, 2023 PART 4
"The point is that while there are legitimate questions and conversations to have regarding gender and sex, the discussion has been hijacked by a well-financed, decentralized network of ideologues who want to destroy the concept of gender altogether."
Identity Crisis: Shifting Government Policies September 1, 2023 PART 3
"In Sweden, similar actions have been taken. Remember that the Trans Train documentary series focused on the outcome of Sweden’s gender interventions, which have become increasingly common. Due to Sweden’s embrace of gender interventions there is much data on the long-term outcomes. For example, a 2011 study — which has been hailed as one of the most thorough follow-up of sex-reassigned people — documented the struggles of Swedish trans individuals decades after surgery. The study concluded that ten to 15 years after surgical reassignment the suicide rate of those who had undergone sex-reassignment surgery rose to 20 times that of comparable peers."
Identity Crisis: ‘Gender-Affirming’ Surgery, Social Contagion, Detransitioners, And The Autism Overlap August 31, 2023 PART 2
"Another major area of concern relates to studies highlighting an overlap between those on the autism spectrum and those identifying as transgender.
For example, a February 2022 independent review commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement highlighted a number of issues relating to gender identity and gender dysphoria treatments. The review, led by Dr. Hilary Cass, former President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, found that,
“approximately one third of children and young people referred to the U.K.’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) have autism or other types of neurodiversity”.
Additionally, an August 2020 study found that individuals who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth are three to six times as likely to be autistic as those who identify with their biological sex. It also found that so-called “gender-diverse” individuals are also more likely to report autism traits and to suspect they have undiagnosed autism. The results come from an analysis of five unrelated databases that all include information about autism, mental health, and gender. The five datasets included 641,860 people; 30,892 with autism and 3,777 identifying as gender diverse.
The researchers explored the relationship between gender identity and six other mental health conditions which can occur simultaneously with autism, including schizophrenia, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study found that “gender-diverse” people have higher rates of all six conditions than cisgender individuals. The highest reported association was for autism and depression.
The authors concluded, “Our study demonstrates that transgender and gender-diverse individuals have elevated rates of autism diagnosis, related neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, and autistic traits compared to cisgender (normal) individuals. This study has clinical implications by highlighting that we need to improve access to care and tailored support for this under-served population.”
So with all this information regarding the lack of long-term safety data for hormones and body alteration surgeries, and detransitioners speaking out to warn others, and signs of a potential social contagion, why does it seem like these aspects of the conversation are not being highlighted by the media, academia, or the medical establishment?
Instead, we see the media, academics, and various medical professions promoting transgender rights regardless of the potential for harmful outcomes.
Identity Crisis: Gender Identity History, Puberty Blockers, And Hormones August 30, 2023 PART 1
"Dr. Michael Biggs’ September 2022 article published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy outlines the history of puberty blockers and hormones, and details how little evidence exists to back up the claims that they are reversible and safe. The article, titled “The Dutch Protocol for Juvenile Transsexuals: Origins and Evidence”, says the use of these drugs (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone agonist or GnRHa) began in the mid-1990s in the Netherlands. Since that time the so-called “Dutch Protocol” has quickly caught on and has been adopted by pediatric endocrinologists all over the world.
Dr Biggs discusses how pediatric endocrinologists have ignored concerns about the impact the drugs have on bone density and cognitive function."
SCOOP: New mandatory hospital staff training promotes transitioning 4-year-olds August 30, 2023
"An employee at Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest healthcare providers on the West Coast, reached out to us after she was mandated to take a new staff training on “gender affirming care.” The employee, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of losing her job, was horrified that a healthcare facility would be promoting the mutilation and castration of children."
California school district settles with mother after school ‘transitioned’ daughter without her consent August 29, 2023
"In what's been called a landmark victory for parental rights, a California school district has settled for $100,000 with a mother who said her daughter was "socially transitioned" to a boy without parental knowledge or consent.
Jessica Konen said her 11-year-old daughter, Alicia, was told by her school in the Spreckels Union School District in Monterey County that she may be upset because she didn’t know who she "truly was inside." From there, the school allowed her to use the boy’s bathroom, used male pronouns to refer to her and was "socially transitioned" away from her biological gender.
Once Konen found out that her daughter was being identified as a male and socially transitioning without her knowledge, she sued the district. Her daughter has since decided to re-identify as a girl, and the California single mother vowed to keep fighting for parental rights after the settlement in which she was represented by the Center for American Liberty."
Gender Ideology Isn’t Kids’ Stuff Wall Street Journal July 17, 2023
"A campaign is under way to introduce schoolchildren to the latest ideas about sexual orientation and “gender identity.” Pupils in New Jersey are expected to understand the differences between these concepts by fifth grade. An official of the National Education Association, the largest U.S. teachers union, recommends asking preschoolers their “preferred pronouns.” The NEA’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ Caucus has a reading list for elementary-school children that includes titles such as “My Princess Boy” and “Jacob’s New Dress.”
It’s important that children learn to accept differences; but indoctrinating them or promoting an agenda is another matter. Parents, many of whom find such ideas objectionable or exotic, are often kept in the dark about what their children are being taught, or told they have no right to opt out if they are informed. Parents around the country have filed lawsuits alleging that school officials withheld vital information about their own children from them.
Children develop at their own pace. Many aren’t psychologically or emotionally ready to discuss or think about their “identity.” I have seen many young adolescents overwhelmed by the need to know “who and what I am” in a heated and socially pressured environment. I have even had teen patients tell me that “identifying as heteronormative”—yes, they’ve been trained to talk that way—is stressful in an environment that idealizes being “queer.”
Preadolescent children are only beginning to discover who they are. All children (adults too) have both masculine and feminine parts of their personalities, which they should be free to explore in play. If a girl doesn’t like wearing dresses and a boy enjoys playing with dolls, it’s cruel and destructive to lead them to believe they’re actually members of the opposite sex.
The harm to children is physical as well as psychological. Medical societies and some schools promote off-label puberty blockers and life-altering surgeries for children and adolescents diagnosed with “gender dysphoria.” Seattle schools teach fourth-graders that “some people decide, with the help of their doctor, to take medicine or hormones to change puberty on purpose to better match their gender.” Side effects of puberty blockers include mood disorders, brain swelling, seizures and cognitive impairment.
The Florida Legislature last year passed the Parental Rights in Education Act, which requires that classroom discussion of sexual matters be “age-appropriate” and prohibits it altogether before fourth grade. It’s a good first step. Society needs to respect the role of parents and empower them to make decisions that are best for their families. For too long we have put the needs of adults over children when it comes to child care, education and safety—and now sexual ideology.
Ms. Komisar is a psychoanalyst and author of “Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters” and “Chicken Little The Sky Isn’t Falling: Raising Resilient Adolescents in the New Age of Anxiety.”"
21 international doctors sign open letter against youth transgender ‘transition’ procedures July 14, 2023
"A group of 21 doctors from countries around the world wrote publicly on Thursday that the ongoing push to provide young children with transgender “transition” procedures is unsupported by current evidence and that medical officials should shift their approaches to managing youth gender dysphoria....."
"In their response this week, the group of clinicians and researchers — from countries including Finland, France, South Africa, and the United States — argued that the risks of cross-sex hormone usage for youths “are significant and include sterility, lifelong dependence on medication, and the anguish of regret.”
A number of European authorities and international medical groups “now recommend psychotherapy rather than hormones and surgeries as the first line of treatment for gender-dysphoric youth,” the doctors wrote.
The writers urged medical societies in the U.S. to “align their recommendations with the best available evidence” rather than “exaggerating the benefits and minimizing the risks.”..."
"The “greatest reserve” is required for the usage of hormones in young children, the academy said, pointing to side effects “such as impact on growth, bone fragility, risk of sterility, emotional and intellectual consequences and, for girls, symptoms reminiscent of menopause."
Youth Gender Transition Is Pushed Without Evidence Wall Street Journal July 13, 2023
Judge rejects suit to force California schools to report students’ gender identity to parents EdSource July 14, 2023
"A federal judge in Sacramento ruled that California is not violating parents’ rights by requiring public schools to accept students’ gender identities and to let them decide whether to inform their families, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The state has a legitimate interest in “in creating a zone of protection for transgender students and those questioning their gender identity from adverse hostile reactions, including, but not limited to, domestic abuse and bullying,” U.S. District Judge John Mendez wrote in a ruling dismissing a constitutional challenge to the state law.
Contrary to the claim that the state is interfering with parents’ right to direct their children’s upbringing, Mendez said, the Chico Unified School District in Butte County, sued for implementing the law, “refrains from interfering with the established parent-child relationship by allowing students to disclose their gender identity to their parents on their own terms.”"
California school district considers policy of outing transgender students to parents Sacramento Bee June 14, 2023
"The proposed policy would require schools to notify parents and guardians in writing within three days of learning that a student has requested to be identified by a different gender. They must also be informed if a student has used a name other than their legal name, or accessed a bathroom other than the one for their sex assigned at birth.
“This policy is meant to foster trust between district employees, and our students’ parents and guardians,” said District Board President Sonja Shaw in a statement. “I stand for the authority of parents to guide the upbringing of their children and their involvement in decisions related to their education, health, safety, and wellbeing.”"
California Bill Would Punish Parents Who Don't 'Affirm' Their Child's Gender Identity June 8, 2023
""When you say that gender affirmation is in the child's best interest for health, safety, and welfare, it takes nothing to say [non-affirmation] is now abuse because you're not taking care of the health, safety, and welfare if you’re not affirming them," said Erin Friday, a San Francisco attorney and co-lead of the parent coalition Our Duty."
Gender Cultists Make a Move for California’s Children June 21, 2023
"Today, the notion that “affirmation” is necessarily in the best interest of every child can no longer seriously be believed. In the last two years, England, Sweden, and Finland have all conducted rigorous scientific reviews of pediatric gender medicine and concluded the opposite. The efficacy, far too doubtful. The harms, to grave. These countries—every one of them liberal—responded to their independent reviews by shuttering pediatric gender clinics, curtailing the availability of these medicines, restricting them to experimental settings, or banning them entirely.
But in the United States, where medicine is decentralized and medical organizations politicized, no such inquest can switch off the fast-moving belt conveying children toward harm. Not even judicial review by the Supreme Court of the United States is likely to save families. As family-law expert Scott Altman, a professor at University of Southern California School of Law, said to me of AB 957: “I don’t think there’s any question that this is constitutional.”"
‘Gender Support Plans’ Trample Parental Rights
"Despite what schools claim when they roll out “gender support plans,” these plans do not make students safer. In fact, they present unique dangers to three specific categories of people.
First and foremost, these plans hurt the students themselves. Children experiencing discomfort with their sex deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. They need effective and compassionate mental health care. And they need their parents. No child should have to walk through something as difficult as struggling with their identity without the help of their parents. By excluding parents, denying biological reality to students, and depriving them of the help they need, school administrators are leading children down a dangerous path.
Second, “gender support plans” threaten good teachers and faculty by forcing them to lie to students and parents. Instead of encouraging students to work through confusion in a healthy manner, they are instructed to deny the truth about what it means to be male and female and then hide information from parents.
Finally, “gender support plans” harm parents by violating their basic right to direct the upbringing of their children. Parents have a responsibility to care for their children, especially when they are struggling, and school administrators have no right to exclude them from the lives of their children."
As more transgender children seek medical care, families confront many unknowns
"Dr Marci Bowers, a surgeon specializing in transgender procedures who became WPATH’s president in September, said in an interview that the organization is trying to find a middle ground between “those who basically would have hormones and surgeries available at a vending machine, let’s say, versus others who think that you need to go through all sorts of hoops and hurdles.”"....
"A growing number of gender-care professionals say that in the rush to meet surging demand, too many of their peers are pushing too many families to pursue treatment for their children before they undergo the comprehensive assessments recommended in professional guidelines.
Such assessments are crucial, these medical professionals say, because as the number of pediatric patients has surged, so has the number of those whose main source of distress may not be persistent gender dysphoria. Some could be gender fluid, with a gender identity that changes over time. Some may have mental health problems that complicate their cases. For these children, some practitioners say, medical treatment may pose unnecessary risks when counseling or other nonmedical interventions would be the better choice."
Thrown to the Wolves City Journal June 21, 2023
"Christopher Rufo: Please begin by setting the scene. What’s it like in a major children’s hospital in the United States regarding transgender interventions for children?
Physician: I think the best way to answer that question is to talk about the cultural shift that happened in 2020, because transgender ideology and Covid are inextricably linked. Normally, doctors operate by the authority of the professional societies that govern our specific practice. That worked because the individuals in those institutions were reliable, intelligent, and thoughtful. But with Covid in 2020, we started getting medical decrees without peer review or evidence—you saw this with masks, social distancing, and emergency-use authorizations. These decrees were expressed as something that everyone had to do, without justification based on sound science. The other thing was censorship. If you were to ask questions or express doubt about these medical decrees, you would be ostracized within your department, and you stood a good chance of being publicly humiliated, severely reprimanded, or fired.
That’s when transgender ideology really took off. Within these academic institutions, so-called experts in the field of transgender medicine would simply declare that puberty blockers and other interventions were the gold standard of care. The evidence to support this is completely fraudulent, but no dissent was permitted. Everyone within the medical community knew that if he questioned transgender ideology, he would suffer the same type of repercussions that had happened during Covid. The best way to describe the environment would be as an authoritarian, censorious culture that discourages any meaningful debate and encourages the demonization of anyone who asks questions."....
"Rufo: What are the main tenets of transgender medical theory that are enforced as the conventional wisdom? And how have those tenets changed medical practice?
Physician: One, when an individual believes he or she is of a certain sex, he or she is truly of that sex. Two, the ideal response is to affirm that individual’s preferred identity. Three, the repercussion of nonintervention is a higher likelihood of that individual committing suicide. The threat of suicide removes any of the guardrails for what we must do to affirm that individual’s identity. Puberty blockers become justified at 11 years old. Hormones become justified at 13 years old. Double mastectomy becomes justified before 18.
But in reality, when you “affirm” these individuals’ gender identity, what you are doing is affirming their hatred for themselves. You have these children who are going through confusing times, difficult times; when you affirm this belief system, what you’re really doing is telling them: “You hate yourself at this moment, and I will affirm that.” We have to ask ourselves, why do these people have such high rates of suicide? Because we’re affirming that they should hate themselves and that they should try to destroy themselves."....
"Rufo: What do you predict for the future of transgender medicine? Will it continue to gain ground, or will it all fall apart?
Physician: I don’t know. I pray that there is a change. One of the things I’ve been thinking about is what puberty blockers do to children. This medication is called a “gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist” and it comes in the form of monthly injections or an implant. And because it simulates the activity of this hormone, it shuts down the activity of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is this almond-sized structure in your brain, it’s one of the most primal structures we have, and it controls all the other hormonal structures in your body—your sexual development, your emotions, your fight-or-flight response, everything. But it shouldn’t be described in such cold physiological terms because your hypothalamus is not just a hormone factory. It’s this system that allows you to stand in awe of the beauty of a sunset, or to hear the sounds of orchestral music and to stop whatever you’re doing and want to listen. And I always think that if someone were to ask me, Where is it that you would look for the divine spark in each individual? I would say that it would be somewhere “beneath the inner chamber,” which is the Greek derivation of the term hypothalamus. To shut down that system is to shut down what makes us human."
MP04-20 RATES OF PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCIES BEFORE AND AFTER GENDER AFFIRMING SURGERY The Journal of Urology September 1, 2021
"Rates of psychiatric emergencies are high both before and after gender affirming surgery. Although both the phalloplasty and vaginoplasty patients have similar overall rates of psychiatric encounters, suicide attempts are more common in the later. In fact, our observed rate of suicide attempts in the phalloplasty group is actually similar to the general population, while the vaginoplasty group's rate is more than double that of the general population. Patients undergoing GAS with a history of prior psychiatric emergences or feminizing transition are at higher risk and should be counseled appropriately."
Four Myths About Trans Athletes, Debunked ACLU April 30, 2020
"Though we are fighting every day in the courts and in legislatures, upholding trans rights will take more than judicial and legislative action. It will require rooting out the inaccurate and harmful beliefs underlying these policies. Below, we debunk four myths about trans athletes using the expertise of doctors, academics, and sports psychologists serving as experts in our litigation in Idaho."
Minors May Get Sex Changes Without Parental Consent, if California’s Teachers Union Has Its Way February 19, 2020
"On Jan. 26, CTA changed an existing policy to explicitly include transgender and non-binary youth among the students who can leave class without parental permission to receive birthcontrol, abortions, and other such services.
While the updated policy does not include “hormone therapy” explicitly, the rationale discussed by CTA’s civil rights committee in making the policy change indicates that’s the final goal......
"The policy now reads: “CTA believes comprehensive school based health care clinics are needed to bring caring and responsive services to young people. The clinics shall provide cisgender, transgender and non-binary youth equal and confidential access to decision-making rights for students and their families.”
The rationale behind this policy change was printed in a CTA Report of Board of Directors, Committees, and Items of New Business in June 2019."
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