Apples to oranges. The matter of teens procuring illegal narcotics, and narcotics illegally, is a tad different, no?
Though some states may want it, I believe it's not illegal anywhere in America (or presumably Australia?) to be gay or transgender. Instead, bigots fight them in other ways, such as pro-harassment legislation, what I'd call passive harassments (such as attacks on libraries and sex ed), ostracism by family/community, psychological abuse, threats and terror, assault, and murder.
It's probably unavoidable that the parents, as legal guardians, be in the loop before a teen achieves medical treatment in the form of something like puberty blockers (opening another can of worms in the form of CPS if there's a danger). Socially, it's probably none of their business. I trust teens to be more in tune with their parents' possible foul reactions than a detached administrator.
e: That said, (among other reasons) with the pressure on transgender people in the country to "pass," or else, the puberty blockers are probably not a horrible idea. And it's not like this stuff is just candy for doctors to freely pass around? From
mayo:
In most cases, to begin using puberty blockers, an individual needs to:
- Show a lasting pattern of gender nonconformity or gender dysphoria.
- Have gender dysphoria that began or worsened at the start of puberty.
- Address any psychological, medical or social problems that could interfere with the treatment.
- Be able to understand the treatment and agree to have it. This is called informed consent.
Puberty blockers are not recommended for children who have not started puberty.
In most cases, youth aren't old enough to get medical treatment without a parent, guardian or other caregiver's permission. This is called medical consent. For those who haven't reached the age of medical consent, a parent, guardian or caregiver often needs to agree to the use of puberty blockers. Parent and family support and encouragement also has been shown to be an important part of boosting mental health and well-being throughout this treatment.
That said, "gender nonconformity" seems dubious criteria, as a point of discussion. There are way more masculine cis women, or effeminate cis men, than many of their transgender counterparts. For instance, considering it improper for a transgender man to go to a salon, or a transgender woman to go play airsoft, feels deeply sexist and dated, and suggests a highly insecure society.
Last edited by unnamednewbie13 (2023-09-16 05:25:27)