These States Will Harm Children Without Parental Consent

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OLYMPIA, WA – Lawmakers in three states are working to strip parents of their right to consent or even be informed of their minor children’s medical care by not requiring state licensed shelters or homeless youth programs to report runaway youth to parents if they are seeking harmful puberty blockers, hormones, or surgical mutilations.

Bill SB 5599 in Washington State, which only needs the governor’s signature to become law, proposes that host shelters can house children who are seeking irreversible and damaging gender-related medical interventions without their parents’ knowledge or permission.

For minors, the bill cites Washington State law defining “gender affirming care” as virtually anything “prescribed by a doctor to treat dysphoria.”

Rather than contacting parents, the bill requires shelters to notify the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families instead.

Another “compelling reason” listed by Washington State lawmakers to keep parents unaware of their children’s whereabouts while they get life-altering medical care, were due to potential "circumstances that indicate notifying the parent or legal guardian will subject the minor to abuse or neglect."