Republican lawmakers in Ohio have introduced a bill that aims to strengthen the rights of parents who may have objections to gender dysphoria treatment for children.
According to World magazine, the bill would guarantee the parents' right to "withhold consent for gender dysphoria treatment or activities that are designed and intended to form a child's conception of sex and gender."
Additionally, the legislation also mandates schools to inform parents if their child starts showing signs of gender dysphoria. Under the proposal, schools and any other government agencies must inform the parents about possible risks of gender dysphoria treatment and obtain their written consent before any attempt to treat a child for the condition.
The bill, sponsored by Reps. Tom Brinkman and Paul Zeltwanger, was introduced in response to a recent case involving a teenage girl who was removed from her parents' custody because of their objections to gender dysphoria treatment.
A team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center had recommended hormonal treatments for the teenage girl, who feels that she would live more comfortably as a male, as soon as possible to reduce the risk of suicide. The parents, however, reportedly wanted her to undergo Christian counseling to determine the cause of gender dysphoria.
Apart from their disapproval of the treatment, the parents also refused to call the teenager by her newly chosen male name.
In February, Judge Sylvia Sieve Hendon ruled that the 17-year-old girl should be turned over to her grandparents, who had no objections to the treatment.
According to CNN, Hendon's ruling allowed the grandparents to petition for the child's name change in probate court, as well as the right to make medical decisions for her.
Aaron Baer, president of Citizens for Community Values, said that the new bill would prevent similar situations from repeating in Ohio.
"It's absolutely horrifying that the state would remove a child from parents' custody to put the child on untested and dangerous drugs," Baer said in a statement. "Hamilton County Job and Family Services crossed the line in this case. HB 658 ensures this can't happen to other Ohio families".
Baer further noted that the bill also aims to counter the advice given by the National Education Association and the LGBT advocacy group GLSEN, encouraging schools not to inform parents if they believe a child is suffering from gender dysphoria. The proposal from GLSEN advises schools not to disclose the student's condition to parents without the child's consent.
"No school should go behind a parent's back. Schools should be supporting parents, not undermining them," Baer said.
