Parents and teachers who oppose the state policies sued, claiming their parental, free speech and religious rights were violated.
The Supreme Court on Monday barred California from enforcing state rules that restrict when schools can notify parents about students who come out as transgender and requires teachers to use children’s preferred pronouns.
The court, on a 6-3 vote on ideological lines, allowed a federal judge’s ruling in favor of parents who oppose the policy on religious grounds to go into effect. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had put the judge’s decision on hold pending further litigation.
The court’s ruling focused on the parents’ claim that their rights under the free exercise clause of the Constitution’s First Amendment were violated. The court also said they have valid parental rights claims under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
Yeah I think there’s been a string push against the personhood of minors in recent decades. I don’t love all the decisions minors would make with more autonomy, but I’ve seen the consequences of full parental control over the lives of teenagers in trans teens, and while some have had good results, for others it’s the sort of thing that makes you just kinda stare at a wall for a bit. Over a decade ago, when I was freshly out a teenager stepped in front of a truck because of her parents’ response to her being trans, they sent her to conversion camps, they punished her self expression, and they guaranteed she had no hope for the future, then when their daughter died they didn’t even believe her words that they had killed her.
Children’s rights are complicated. No reasonable person thinks a 5 year old should have the ability to tell their parents that they want to live alone and have the state defend that right or to take the child without cause. But I think it’s equally ludicrous to say that a 16 year old should be blocked from getting a vaccine they want because their parents oppose it (when I was a teen this was a hot issue for the HPV vaccine). In fact I think any child old enough for abstract thought should have plenty of protections as a human including from their parents.
Hell even beyond rights to privacy from parents and the right to bodily autonomy, teenagers are often currently being aggressively hand held to the point they don’t know how to function outside their parents’ guidance at early adulthood. Adolescence is supposed to be a period of gaining rights, freedoms, and responsibilities, of learning how to be an adult but before the training wheels are off.
And yeah my experience as a trans millennial had me strongly relating to cis gay people my parents age. Lots of broken families and too many dead acquaintances, but with strong community and cultural bonds. The community meant I always had people and even in a new place I could find family pretty quick, I just had to be family to those who found me.
Also seconding the person saying that your mom is awful, like wtf, just because I’ve seen worse doesn’t mean I’ll ever get over the petty shittiness of some parents.
Oh, that’s devastating for that person… I hate that people are made to feel like their life sucks so much that the only escape is by ending it… when in reality there nothing wrong with them, but the people around them. That girl deserved to live freely and loved. I hope her parents eventually realise(d) that their daughter’s fate was because of their actions and that they have blood on their hands.
I absolutely agree with the rest. They shouldn’t be given full adult rights and autonomy, but they should at least be given some. They have an agency, and it’s not always naive, immature, and uneducated. Some parents fall into those traps themselves. They’re in no position to judge someone just because that person is simply younger than them.
As a society, we’re still so far behind on being progressive on either of the two, but I dream that one day, the transgender community will be as normalised as those who identify as gay. The sheer amount of death threats and rape threats that transgender people receive for simply not aligning with their outer body is insane! It’s so dystopian, I can’t understand how it doesn’t click to people how batshit crazy it is!
I’m glad that you’ve found a belonging. I’ve recently rediscovered the importance of grassroot movements, NGOs, and small communities since I started reflecting on what I can do to help the current global issues. Having a support group can make a significant change on how a person views not only themselves but others too. May no minority group feel isolated 🫶 And you’re right; family isn’t defined by blood but by unconditional love.
I appreciate the support. It’s been an emotional journey, but I’m proud of myself for making an effort to stay authentic and to stand up for what’s right. The anxiety, the fears, the anger, and the tears have all been and continue to be worth it. I’d do anything to guarantee a liberated life for everyone.