President Joe Biden’s deputies are pressuring the 50 states’ child welfare agencies to ensure that abandoned or homeless kids who declare an “LGBT” identity must be placed with foster homes and organizations that “affirm” their claimed sexual status.
“Each title IV-E agency should be particularly vigilant about placing LGBTQI+ children and youth in homes and child-care institutions where they are supported, safe, and can develop as a whole person,” said a federal document, exclusively reported here by Breitbart News.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) sent a memorandum to state child welfare agencies across the United States on March 2, 2022, issuing guidance on how to “best serve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI+1 ) children and youth” in the child welfare system.
The White House on Thursday touted HHS’s recently released guidance, nodding to it in a proclamation for “National Child Abuse Prevention Month.” President Joe Biden appeared to use the proclamation to slam Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), without naming him, claiming the United States is witnessing a “dangerous campaign” from elected officials to “weaponize the child welfare system against families just because they love and affirm their transgender children.”
Abbott notably issued a policy in March ordering Texas’ Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate parents of children who receive hormone therapy and gender-transforming procedures, along with any medical professional who provides such health care, and called such actions “child abuse.” However, a Texas judge issued a temporary restraining order against the directive. Biden in his proclamation seemed to claim that not giving children “gender affirming care” is what actually constitutes child abuse, but he did not mention the disastrous and sometimes irreversible consequences of those treatments on minors.
In this Dec.13, 2018 photo, Laura, a “transgender child,” looks from behind a glass door during recess at the Amaranta Gomez school in Santiago, Chile.
“These discriminatory actions threaten to hurt our Nation’s children and must stop. Affirming a transgender child’s identity is one of the best things that a parent, teacher, or doctor can do to keep children from harm. My Administration will continue to take actions to keep transgender children and their families safe,” the proclamation reads.
The HHS memorandum begins by recommending agencies approach “LGBTQI+ children and youth” in foster care through an “equity lens.”
“Too often, systemic barriers and practices are created to deny such children and youth gender affirming medical care, especially to transgender and gender nonconforming children and youth,” the memo reads. “The Children’s Bureau does not support these barriers and practices, and we are unequivocal that they are counter to children and youth’s best interests.”
Most notably, HHS recommends state agencies help children who believe they are transgender access “gender affirming care.” A separate document promoted by the Biden administration on Thursday for “Transgender Visibility Day,” says that so-called “affirming care” includes “top surgery — to create male typical chest shape or enhance breasts,” and “bottom surgery — surgery on the genitals or reproductive organs.” The document does not include more grotesque aspects of these surgeries, such as where young girls’ breasts are cut off and fake penises built from the tissue of another body part.
Other examples of “affirming care” (a far-left euphemism intended to make the mutilation of children sound like a compassionate course of action) include puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and various other procedures.
“[HHS] and all leading national medical and pediatric associations confirm that providing gender-affirming medical care is in the best interest of children and youth who need it,” HHS claims. “Such children, youth, and their families can require specific support in order to ensure that a child or youth can remain at home in an emotionally and physically safe environment.”
HHS also recommends against “conversion therapy” related to the “sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression” of children (keeping in mind children legally cannot consent to sexual activity).
“Moreover, Children’s Bureau acknowledges that a placement in which so called “conversion therapy,” or any other attempt to undermine, suppress, or change the sexual orientation or gender identity of a child or youth in foster care is utilized, is neither safe nor appropriate,” the agency claims. “As such, there are no circumstances under which an LGBTQI+ child or youth should be subjected to so called “conversion therapy,” including a child or youth in foster care.”
HHS does not go more in depth in describing what constitutes conversion therapy, but GLAAD (a far-left, pro-LGBT group) has a list on its website of the various treatments activists consider to be “conversion therapy.” Some treatments on the list include “ex-gay ministry,” and “sexuality counseling,” which are often employed by Christian churches to assist people who are struggling with sexuality issues.
The agency also told state agencies to use funding to help parents develop skills to “effectively parent an LGBTQI+ child or youth,” as well as provide funds to train foster families in understanding how to take care of these children.
“Agencies should consider how to use family preservation funds and services to support families who are grappling with how to embrace an LGBTQI+ child or youth. For example, an agency could focus on parent education and building skills that will help the parent understand how best to support and parent the child in a safe and affirming manner that does not threaten the child’s safety or well-being,” the memo reads.
HHS additionally says agencies should ensure “children and youth have the opportunity to engage in age or developmentally appropriate activities,” and they should “consider the circumstances of each child and youth, which should include their sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.”
Biden posted a video address to Twitter on Thursday as well, obliquely criticizing loving American parents who disagree with their teenagers’ claims to be members of the opposite sex, saying:
To parents of transgender children, affirming your child’s [claimed transgender] identity [is] one of the most powerful things you can do to keep them safe and healthy.
Contrary to the Biden administration’s claims, scientists have found that neither “gender-affirming hormone treatment” nor “gender-affirming surgery” decreased the need for mental health services for those claiming to be transgender. Other studies have found that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones and sex transition surgeries do not prevent suicide or improve mental health in gender dysphoric young people.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Twitter.