Children who believe they are “transgender” and are seeking gender-changing procedures and drugs “will be protected from the intervention of estranged parents” under a bill Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) recently signed into law, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Before the law was passed, licensed shelters and homes were required to notify parents within three days when a minor came into their care. Under Inslee’s new law, those facilities must contact the Department of Children, Youth and Families, “which could then attempt to reunify the family if feasible,” according to a report. Minors may stay at the facilities without parental permission.
Before Inslee signed the bill into law, he called it a “more compassionate, developmentally appropriate and reasoned approach to support these youth as they access gender-affirming treatment and reproductive health services.”
According to Breitbart News, “gender-affirming care” is a term used by left-leaning individuals to make the mutilation of minors through gender-changing procedures sound “compassionate.”
Republicans have spent weeks opposing Inslee’s legislation, with state Senate GOP leader John Braun warning it would drive “a wedge between vulnerable kids and their patients.”
The AP’s report on Inslee’s legislation was titled, “Trans minors protected from parents under Washington law.” The outlet claimed that people online “twisted the content of the measure to suggest it will see the state ripping children from their homes.”
Yes, this is a real headline from @AP.
Yesterday, @GovInslee signed SB5599 into law, making Washington a sanctuary state for "trans" minors that want to undergo medical gender procedures, but whose parents will not allow them to (because they're good parents).
These people are… pic.twitter.com/5ZaoD6sie1
— Gays Against Groomers (@againstgrmrs) May 10, 2023
“Legal experts and the bill’s primary sponsor say the legislation does not address custody issues or removing youths from their parents. The legislation is intended to help keep estranged young people housed, not remove children from parents,” a separate AP “fact focus” article said about the bill.
Washington Senate Republicans opposed the bill, saying it allows youth shelters to “hide kids seeking ‘gender-affirming care’ from their parents.”
“People are overwhelmingly against SB 5599, including many LGBT+ folks. Democrats pass it anyway, allowing youth shelters to hide kids seeking ‘gender-affirming care’ from their parents,” the GOP caucus tweeted.
People are overwhelmingly against SB 5599, including many LGBT+ folks. Democrats pass it anyway, allowing youth shelters to hide kids seeking “gender-affirming care" from their parents. #waleg
Tell @GovInslee to VETO SB 5599 at 360-902-4111 or Email: https://t.co/WnmH8rurMb pic.twitter.com/n7HK4E8jBm
— WA Senate Republicans (@WashingtonSRC) May 5, 2023
State Rep. Jim Walsh (R) argued that the bill goes against parental rights. “The extremists have picked their position against WA families and parental rights. Now they can try to defend it. Spoiler: It’s indefensible,” he said.
The extremists have picked their position against WA families and parental rights.
Now they can try to defend it.
Spoiler: It's indefensible. https://t.co/8og0wBGWF6— Jim Walsh (@JimWalshLD19) May 9, 2023
As the AP points out, more than 12 states in the U.S. have passed or are considering passing similar legislation surrounding “transgender” individuals and children. Several Republican-leaning states are going in the opposite direction by preventing children from obtaining life-changing gender procedures, puberty blockers, and cross-gender hormones.
