Washington state House passes bill to allow hiding minors’ gender transitions from parents

A bill under consideration in Washington state would allow licensed youth shelters to withhold information from parents about whether a child in their care is undergoing a gender transition, allowing the shelters to instead contact the state.

The bill, titled “Supporting youth and young adults seeking protected health care services,” introduced by six Democrats, passed the state House last Wednesday. The bill would allow licensed overnight youth shelters housing a minor to inform only the state’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and not a child’s parents if the child is “seeking or receiving protected health care services.” The bill defines protected services as including “evaluation and treatments for gender dysphoria, gender-affirming hormone therapy, and gender-affirming surgical procedures.” ---More...