A New Bill Could Legalize Kidnapping Trans Kids by Their Parents

A newly introduced bill in Florida could let a parent kidnap their children and bring them across state lines if the parent believes that the child is receiving gender-affirming health care—or even if the child is simply “at risk” of getting that care.

“A court may not treat a parent′s removal of a child from another parent or from another state as unjustifiable conduct or child abuse,” reads the bill, introduced Friday by Republican state Sen. Clay Yarborough.

The bill would also let any court step in to determine custody if a child is getting gender-affirming health care. And it would block any public agency from spending money on gender-affirming care, leaving people who depend on the government for help affording this care to fend for themselves.

“A transphobic parent could kidnap their trans child in violation of custody agreements and abscond to Florida and be protected by Florida law under this despite likely committing felony kidnapping in their home state,” Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic, tweeted of the bill. Speaking of all the bills targeting trans folks now swirling through Florida’s state legislature, Caraballo added, “This is a full elimination of recognition and a limitation on access to care for all trans people, including adults.”

This bill is only the latest volley in the nationwide battle over the rights of trans and nonbinary children. So far, at least five states have banned providers from offering gender-affirming care to minors, even if their parents support it. Three of those states—Mississippi, Utah, and South Dakota—have passed these bans in the last month. Meanwhile, federal courts have blocked these laws from taking effect in Arkansas and Alabama.

The South Dakota law would also force trans youth to detransition, because it only lets doctors who treat trans youth have one year to stop providing gender-affirming care.

Opposition to trans and nonbinary youth’s right to care is now a common tactic in the GOP playbook. In 2022, Republican candidates and anti-LGBTQ groups spent upwards of $50 million on ads that primarily target trans youth, according to research by the Human Rights Campaign. 

Trans and nonbinary childrenalready face staggering rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. But letting them use puberty blockers, hormones, and gender-affirming surgeries have all been linked to improving their mental health.

These are all forms of health care that would lead kids’ kidnapping to be justified under this new Florida bill.

Source

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress | Designed by: Premium WordPress Themes | Thanks to Themes Gallery, Bromoney and Wordpress Themes