Should the State intervene to help minors seeking 'gender-affirming' medical care?

Luke (No)

Overriding parents' wishes concerning their child's medical well-being requires a high degree of certainty from the state that the intervention is absolutely necessary. For the state to supersede parental decisions, the situation must be severe or life-threatening, and the medical treatment must be widely accepted. However, for so-called 'gender-affirming care,' a euphemism for genital mutilation and castration procedures, these conditions go simply unmet, as these procedures are never medically necessary. For the state to treat them as so reinforces the myth that one can be 'born in the wrong body.' Allowing state policy to reflect that belief tyrannically eliminates parental rights and emancipates minors, who cannot consent, to make irreversible and harmful medical decisions. 

Medical 'gender transition,' formerly known as 'sex change' surgeries, is not life-saving treatment or even possible. Physiologically speaking, affirmation care does not pertain to the vital organs and biological processes required to keep humans alive. Therefore, it cannot be considered child abuse to forgo 'treatments' for one's children in that denying the treatment will not result in physical harm or death to the child. Likewise, the trans community has an exceptionally high suicide rate following 'gender-affirming' interventions, meaning the state is facilitating minors on a path toward a deteriorated mental state due to the experimental nature of these procedures, which medical professionals do not widely accept. 

Psychological issues aside, because much of the medical procedures required for 'transition' are physically irreversible, the state's involvement, superseding parental involvement, raises the stakes. These minors may regret choosing to 'transition' later in life. Parents best understand the needs of their children, and because 'gender-affirming' care is not physically necessary nor widely accepted, the state should not intervene for minors seeking such drastic, life-altering, and dangerous medical procedures.

Rob (Yes)

The issue of transgender minors has become a point of contention worldwide and must be addressed. It's not the time for blame games and politics, especially when human lives are on the line. Society must accept trans minors as part of society. Therefore, to do this, the state is responsible for protecting every single American's rights, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or gender identity. 

Discrimination, harassment, and violence against transgender individuals are reported to be prevalent in society, with minors being particularly vulnerable to such abuse. The state should ensure their rights are protected, safe from harm, and provided with all medical care needed to affirm their identity. For those in the process of transitioning, the state has a responsibility to ensure minors are made aware of the potential long-term ramifications of these procedures and are only permitted to proceed at their own discretion.

The state's intervention in these situations where the parent and child disagree on medical care would also help establish a clear line between what is and what's not acceptable when transitioning. But children who know who they are should be afforded the right to seek treatment to affirm it. The state's responsibility is to protect children's rights and freedom to do this. Besides, there are already established age limits below which children are not permitted to transition, as has lately happened in several states across the US, meaning children are protected on every front.

While this issue may appear to be a personal inter-familial problem that does not warrant increased government involvement, sometimes the state must intervene to preserve the rights of those involved, primarily minors.