Washington State Senator Mark Lilas (D), sponsor of Senate Bill 5599 Supporting youth and young adults seeking protected health care services.
by James C. Sherlock
In another flashing sign of the apocalypse, Democrats in the Washington State legislature want the state to become a destination for runaway youth seeking gender transition as minors.
They proudly point to a newly passed law as their party’s response to other states passing laws to prohibit transgender medical services to youth under the age of 18.
Virginia progressives, envious, are temporarily disarmed from changing Virginia law.
There will be work to do when they get back full control in Richmond.
I have every confidence in their capability to catch up.
Washington State is poised to legalize non-notification of parents of “youth seeking protected health services” if the kid runs away from home. The law creates a new “compelling reason” to not notify parents of the location of a runaway child.
The existing “compelling reason” in Washington law is an allegation of child abuse.
The new law added as a “compelling reason” that the child is seeking gender transition. If a child has runaway for that reason, no parental knowledge of the child’s intent to transition genders, much less parental abuse, even needs to be alleged.
The bill passed on party line votes.
Instead of notifying parents, the youth shelters and temporary foster homes will notify the state Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).
It gets worse.
Wait until you read about Washington State’s Medicaid “services” to these kids.
From the Democratic press release:
Under current law, licensed shelters must notify parents if a child comes into their care, unless a compelling reason applies.
This legislation allows licensed shelters to contact the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) in lieu of parents in certain additional instances, like when a young person is seeking reproductive health services or gender-affirming care. [Emphasis added.]
The state will “offer to make referrals on behalf of the minor for behavioral health services.” That means exactly what you think it does.
Medicaid will pay.
Here is the actual language. (ii) is the change:
“(c) “Compelling reasons” include, but are not limited to((, circumstances)):
(i) Circumstances that indicate that notifying the parent or legal guardian will subject the minor to abuse or neglect as defined in RCW 26.44.020; or
(ii) When a minor is seeking or receiving protected health care services.
(d) “Protected health care services” means gender affirming treatment as defined in RCW 74.09.675 and reproductive health care services as defined in RCW 74.09.875.” (Emphasis added)
“Gender affirming treatment” in Washington law means
a service or product that a health care provider prescribes to an individual to support and affirm the individual’s gender identity. Gender affirming treatment includes, but is not limited to, treatment for gender dysphoria.
Facial feminization surgeries and facial gender affirming treatment, such as tracheal shaves, hair electrolysis, and other care such as mastectomies, breast reductions, breast implants, or any combination of gender affirming procedures, including revisions to prior treatment, when prescribed as gender affirming treatment, cannot be considered cosmetic.
“Reproductive health care services” under Washington law means
any medical services or treatments, including pharmaceutical and preventive care service or treatments, directly involved in the reproductive system and its processes, functions, and organs involved in reproduction, in all stages of life. Reproductive health care services does not include infertility treatment.
(d) “Reproductive system” includes, but is not limited to: Genitals, gonads, the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and breasts.
So that law pretty much covers soup to … you know.
And all of that too is funded by state Medicaid.
If the concern was truly about child welfare, the law could have directed the state to notify the parents that the child was under its protection and schedule an immediate Child Protective Services home visit to determine if there is any cause not to return the child to its parents.
The law did not do that.
In a piece of good news for Virginia progressives, the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital starts puberty blockers as young as 11, and kids don’t have to wait until 13 as at Seattle Children’s.
Seattle Children’s won’t do genital surgeries until the patient is 18, but as for lopping off breasts and facial surgery, the minimum age can be worked out.
Apparently with the runaway kids.
Democratic officials in Washington State have voted for a dogmatic, officially-sanctioned, state-funded destruction of childhood. They have descended into governmental human trafficking.
Coming to a General Assembly near you.
Updated April 21 at 11:20 to clarify that the new Washington State law does not require allegation of parental abuse or even parental knowledge of the child’s intent for gender transition if the child has run away for that reason.
