James January-February 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 59
the Left’s insistence on promoting
gender-affirming care for minors. In
for one of the most contentious debates in modern politics: gender-affirm- Sweden and Finland, medical authorities have raised red flags over the
ing care for minors. This issue is not
increasing medicalization of gender
merely cultural or medical but a politidysphoria, urging non-invasive, psycal battlefield where the radical Left’s
chological approaches instead. The
ideological push undermines the very
fabric of societal norms. At the center
of this debate are two critical pieces
of legislation: Senate Bill 140 (SB 140)
and House Bill 1170 (HB 1170). Both
are intended to protect children from
irreversible medical interventions.
In 2023, Georgia’s General Assembly passed SB 140, banning hormone
therapy and gender-affirming surgeries
for minors. While a significant step, the
bill failed to address puberty blockers.
Critics argue that puberty blockers—
often mischaracterized as “reversible”— carry severe risks, including
bone density loss, delayed cognitive
development and long-term psychologUK’s National Health Service (NHS) reical impacts. In 2024, HB 1170 sought
cently shut down the Tavistock gender
to rectify this omission by banning
clinic following scathing reviews of its
puberty blockers outright. However,
practices. The Cass Review, a compreprogressive advocates rallied against
the bill, ensuring its failure. Supporters hensive investigation into the clinic,
found no reliable evidence to support
of HB 1170 highlight evidence from
the widespread use of puberty blockEuropean countries like Sweden, Finers and hormone therapy in children.
land, and the United Kingdom, which
These developments should serve as
have moved to restrict such treata wake-up call for U.S. policymakers.
ments citing the lack of clear benefits
and mounting concerns over potential Instead, progressives double down,
harm. Yet, in the U.S., many Democrat- ignoring the data in favor of advancing
their ideological agenda.
ic policymakers continue to dismiss
As Georgia’s legislature enters its
these warnings, prioritizing ideology
2025 session, lawmakers must focus
over science.
on shielding children from experiThe international shift toward
mental treatments disguised as care.
greater caution contrasts starkly with
GEORGIA HAS BECOME GROUND ZERO
Progressive activists label regulations
on gender-affirming care as a “human
rights” issue, equating them with civil
rights protections. This comparison
is both false and misleading. Society
has long recognized that minors lack
the maturity to make life-altering
decisions, as evidenced by age restrictions on alcohol, tobacco and voting.
Yet, activists argue that children are
capable of choosing irreversible medical interventions— an argument that
defies both logic and reason.
The debate over children’s welfare
extends beyond medical interventions. Schools have become another
battleground, with activists portraying efforts to enforce age-appropriate
educational content as “book bans.”
These measures aim to protect children from explicit materials unfit for
the classroom, but the left mischaracterizes them as attacks on intellectual
freedom. This overreach highlights a
broader agenda: dismantling traditional values under the guise of progress.
Georgia parents, who see themselves
as the last line of defense for their
children’s innocence, have repeatedly
pushed back against these narratives.
This strategy of vilifying parents and
misrepresenting protective measures
only deepens the divide.
The rising number of detransitioners adds a sobering dimension to this
debate. Individuals like Kaya Clementine Breen, who began transitioning
at an early age, are now sharing harrowing accounts of regret and harm.
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