Parents of a transgender teenage boy have asked an Ohio family court to stop their child from receiving hormone therapy, reports CNN.
The 17-year-old boy, whose name has been kept anonymous, took his parents to court in order to be able to receive treatment for gender dysphoria at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The teen suffers from anxiety and depression related to his gender dysphoria, and began experiencing suicidal ideation after his parents refused to acknowledge his gender identity.
The boy has been living with his maternal grandparents while the court battle rages on. But the teens’ parents have asked that the child continue living with his grandparents, even if the court decides that the parents are the ones who should make choices about whether the teen pursues his transition.
Karen Brinkman, an attorney representing the parents, says that it is in the teen’s best interest to continue living with his grandparents, though the parents are best suited to retain custody and make medical decisions for their child.
Brinkman maintains that the teen’s current mental state hinders him from making an informed decision about his health care.
“It does not appear that this child is even close to being able to make such a life-altering decision at this time,” she said.
The grandparents have previously told the court that they are willing to allow their grandchild to receive treatment for gender dysphoria, including hormone therapy, if it is deemed medically necessary.
In 2016, the teen was hospitalized and treated for gender dysphoria. But his parents put a stop to the therapy, citing religious objections and a desire to seek out a Christian therapist to help their child deal with his feelings.
In November 2016, the teen told a local crisis hotline that his father had told him to kill himself. The teen also claims that his parents made him sit in a room and listen to Bible scripture for over six hours in an effort to purge him of his feelings of gender dysphoria. A month later, the teen claims he tried to read a letter to his parents explaining his feelings, but his mother screamed at him and called him a liar. Eventually, the parents relented and allowed him to resume counseling-type therapy to deal with his suicidal ideation.
The boys’ medical providers at Cincinnati Children’s say that the boy has improved mentally and emotionally from his therapy, and that the grandparents have created a supportive environment. But the medical team believes that starting hormone therapy and other treatments will help the teen transition more smoothly.
A proposed bill in Missouri would imprison teachers and force them to register as sex offenders if they affirm the gender identities of transgender students.
Sponsored by State Rep. Jamie Ray Gragg (R-Ozark), House Bill 2885 would charge teachers with a class E felony -- punishable by a $10,000 fine and up to four years in prison -- if they are believed to have supported a transgender student's social transition.
Other examples of class E felonies include involuntary manslaughter, third-degree, domestic assault, harassment, stalking, and child molestation.
Former Olympic gold medalist and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner expressed support for a conservative New York County's policy banning transgender female athletes from using county-owned facilities.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman instituted the ban via executive order last month.
Under it, any sports teams designated specifically for female athletes with transgender team members are prevented from competing or practicing at Nassau's 100-plus county facilities. This includes all ballfields, basketball and tennis courts, swimming pools, and ice rinks.Β
Blakeman argued that allowing trans females to compete against cisgender female athletes is unfair and potentially dangerous, due to the biological and physiological differences that favor transgender athletes in any match-up.
A proposed bill in Kentucky would remove transgender children from their parents' custody if they are caught using bathrooms at school that don't match their assigned sex at birth.
Sponsored by State Rep. Jason Petrie (R-Elkton), the measure does not explicitly mention transgender children or bathrooms. It does, however, refer to various provisions governing student conduct.
These include a "bathroom ban" that was passed last year as part of a sweeping anti-transgender bill that also banned access to gender-affirming care for minors, use of gender-affirming pronouns in school environments, and "Don't Say Gay"-style prohibitions on classroom content.Β
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet itβs crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So wonβt you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each weekβs magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!