The New York Times published a front-page article Monday documenting the outrage that even liberal parents feel when schools hide their minor children’s gender “transitions” from them until it is too late to intervene.
The article, titled “When Students Change Gender Identity, and Parents Don’t Know,” highlights the “tensions” that educators are said to feel about the moral dilemma of whether to inform parents who may disapprove.
But along the say, the Times reports the outrage of parents — even liberal parents who support gay rights and transgenderism for adults — who are kept in the dark, even when children consider hormones and surgery.
The Times reports:
[D]ozens of parents whose children have socially transitioned at school told The Times they felt villainized by educators who seemed to think that they — not the parents — knew what was best for their children. They insisted that educators should not intervene without notifying parents unless there is evidence of physical abuse at home. Although some didn’t want their children to transition at all, others said they were open to it, but felt schools forced the process to move too quickly, and that they couldn’t raise concerns without being cut out completely or having their home labeled “unsafe.”
Many advocates for L.G.B.T.Q. youth counter that parents should stop scapegoating schools and instead ask themselves why they don’t believe their children. They said ensuring that schools provide enough support for transgender students is more crucial than ever, given the rise of legislation that blocks their access to bathrooms, sports and gender-affirming care.
An increasing number of these parents, the Times notes, find themselves reluctantly drawn to supporting Republican politicians and conservative legal foundations who are standing up for parental rights against transgender activists who have the support of the Biden administration and powerful interest groups: “Other self-described liberal parents said they registered as independents or voted for Republican candidates for the first time as a result of this issue. Although they haven’t sued, some have retained lawyers affiliated with the largest legal organization on the religious right to battle their children’s schools.”
The Times‘ reporting confirms the earlier reporting, years ago, by Abigail Shrier, author of the book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters — about the concern many parents, including liberal parents, feel about the transgender phenomenon among teens. In addition, the Times reporting contradicts the editorial stance adopted in the op-ed pages of the Times itself, which described Shrier’s work as an “insult,” and accused Shrier of hiding the phenomenon of transgender “children.”
The Biden administration has attacked Republicans, notably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (D), for supporting laws that defend parental rights. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has attempted to build his national profile by boasting about a new California law that makes the state the first “sanctuary” for minors who are seeking drugs and surgery to complete their gender “transitions,” and who would be barred from doing so elsewhere.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.