Marcus Pavilonis

Parents rights act

10/4/2018

Potential effects of House Bill 658

Megan Carlson / For The Post

House Bill 658, or the Parent’s Rights Bill, could potentially affect LGBTQ minors.

According to the bill, government agents, or entities, who work with minors would have to out them to their parents or legal guardians, without their consent if they showed signs of gender dysphoria. The bill was proposed by two Republican representatives, Tom Brinkman and Paul Zeltwanger.

It would make providing gender dysphoria treatment without consent from each parent or guardian a fourth-degree felony. Treatment for gender dysphoria range from counseling to surgery.

The bill would also keep courts from making custody decisions based on parents refusal of gender-based medical treatment.

The Parent’s Rights Bill is said to focus on the parental rights in the situation, but it fails to mention the dangers that the child may face if their families are unaccepting.

“The reality of this bill is that it has the potential of doing more harm to trans youth and placing them in risky situations such as being kicked out of their homes, being forced into conversion therapies to cure them of their ‘illness’ and creates an environment where young people will become more scared to share their truth,” delfin bautista, the director of the LGBT Center, said in an email.

bautista said in an email that research and anecdotal experience reflects that LGBTQ youth are three to four times more likely to attempt or die by suicide. The rates for transgender youths are four to five times higher.

The bill also puts adults in charge of these children in a position that they may not be comfortable or willing to be in and could cause problems with youths in the future, like in college.

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“Students will be coming to college/university with additional levels of stress… will folks become more hesitant to share their journeys as well as possibly becoming even more reluctant to share incidents of harassment/violence due to fear of being outed? It’s a slippery slope,” bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and lowercase spelling of their name, said.

bautista said the university also does work with the community, especially high schools in the area, and run the risk of further isolating individuals in an area were LGBTQ inclusive resources are limited.

Maggie Mcmanus, a freshman studying psychology, said she identifies as an ally for transgender people.

“Schools have no right to be in the personal business of students,” Mcmanus said.

Mcmanus said people need to vote and not just say they’re going to fight this bill without actually doing anything.

While people are worried about the dangers this could cause for transgender youth, those who have already experienced coming out for themselves are even more worried. They know what it’s like to come out to friends and family and don’t want other people to be forced into it.

Ariel Keener, a freshman studying sociology, came out to friends and family in late 2017. She said that the main issue with forcing a child to come out can be an extremely emotionally taxing process.

“A trans individual isn’t likely to (die by) suicide after they’ve been out for years and have medically transitioned. They’re going to try when they come out and everyone has their eyes on them. Not to mention it’s a shock when the family finds out from another source,” Keener said.

Student Senate recently passed a bill condemning House Bill 658, according to a previous Post report. Members of Student Senate felt the bill was a violation of rights and highly discriminatory toward LGBTQ — specifically transgender — students.

During the debate for condemning the bill, Student Senate members discussed why this issue is important to students, especially the LGBTQ students at Ohio University. Members said it is important that all students of the university feel accepted as who they are as a person and have treatment services available to them.

House Bill 658 is scheduled to go before legislatures in the fall.

Development by: Megan Knapp / Digital Production Editor

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