What happened in California on September 11, 2023 is startling, I know. It doesn’t even sound real. But this really happened. We have arrived at the point where a crackpot ideology will soon have the force of state behind it. Governor Gavin Newsom (the likely 2024 Democratic nominee for President of the Untied States) is sure to sign this monstrosity into law. It will mean that the state can commandeer children and destroy families if parents do not affirm the delusion that humans can change their gender and try to stop the genital mutilation of their children.
Here are the details (I relying on coverage of this story by Tristan Justice writing for the Federalist): On Friday, the California legislature approved Assembly Bill 957, that could potentially lead to parents losing custody of their children if they express reservations about their child’s desire to undergo hormone treatments or surgeries to transition to the opposite sex. Originally, the bill was introduced to require courts to consider whether parents were supportive of their child’s identification as transgender during custody disputes. However, in June, as if the original intent of the bill weren’t bad enough, lawmakers amended it to include provisions that could hold parents accountable for child abuse if they were not considered adequately “affirming” of their child’s gender identity.
Republican state Senator Scott Wilk strongly criticized the bill, advising parents to consider leaving the state to protect their children. “In the past when we’ve had these discussions and I’ve seen parental rights atrophy, I’ve encouraged people to keep fighting,” Wilk said in June. “I’ve changed my mind on that,” Wilk added. “If you love your children, you need to flee California. You need to flee.”
The legislation is part of a broader trend of government actions in California that have sparked concerns about parental rights. In another recent development, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued a school district over rules compelling teachers to notify parents about changes related to their child’s gender identity. A local judge temporarily suspended this policy, pending further litigation. Last fall, Governor Newsom signed a bill stripping out-of-state parents of their ability to protect children seeking transgender medical procedures in California. This law mandates that doctors withhold medical information related to “gender identity” from parents.
Proponents of such laws argue that they protect transgender and gender-nonconforming students, citing studies that purportedly suggest that easing access to medical interventions for adolescents pursuing gender transitions may increase the risk of mental health issues, including suicide, which, as I discussed in yesterdays blog entry, is a form of emotional blackmail used by the queer lobby to bully parents into supporting “gender affirming care.” However, there are no studies supporting the claim that denying access to puberty blocked, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries increases risk of suicide among adolescents.
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The Secretary of State in Illinois Alexi Giannoulias came to the United States Senate to speak out against “book bans” at public schools and libraries. Senator John Kennedy read directly from the books the Secretary is defending. It’s straight up pornography. All Boys aren’t Blue and Gender Queer are the books excerpted. These are just two of many books sexualizing and pushing the queer agenda on children. The Secretary’s reaction? “Those words are disturbing coming from your mouth.” Indeed. Are they not also disturbing coming from a teacher or a drag queen?
In this video clip, it is admitted that pornographic materials and materials intended for sexual grooming are being framed in the language diversity, inclusion, and equity to blunt efforts at child safeguarding. Keeping these materials away from children is decried as “book banning.” Those who argue for protecting children are smeared as bigots. The project to normalize paraphilia and sexualize children finds libraries as one of the most important sites to colonize since the appeal can be made that these are taxpayer funded institutions that must remain open to all—including to children who can be lured into a sexualized world where norms are problematized and sexual boundaries transgressed. None of this is happening by accident. It’s all part of a piece.
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Unsure of the source, but this meme is essentially correct:
freedom and reason 