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Christian parents sue Michigan school district for respecting their trans child's humanity [1]
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Date: 2023-12-23
Two Christian parents in Michigan have decided that their anti-trans bigotry is more important than their child’s mental health or wellbeing.
From The Friendly Atheist Substack:
Dan and Jennifer Mead have a transgender son. The child didn’t feel comfortable admitting this to them, so he told his teachers and counselors at East Rockford Middle School in Michigan instead. In 2022, the child specifically requested that they refer to him using masculine pronouns, which the adults at the school did. The ’s Rockford Public School District didn’t have any policy requiring school officials to “out” kids against their will, so no one told the Meads about this.
Gee, I wonder why their transgender child felt uncomfortable telling his parents about his gender dysphoria and instead went to the school about it? So now instead of actually helping their child they pulled him out of school and are now SUING the school district for the crime of respecting their child’s humanity. And of course that far-right hate group Alliance Defending Freedom is helping them in their lawsuit.
ADF then goes onto misgender their child in their statement announcing the lawsuit:
By deliberately hiding important information from the Meads about their daughter, the school district violated their parental rights. Parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, and health care of their children, and government officials have no right to hide critical information from them.
The Meads go on to actually BLAME educators for “socially transitioning” their child without their knowledge or approval, citing a violation of their “parental rights” by listing examples of how school officials made accommodations for their trans child.
The district has a legal obligation to help the children, not put their lives in danger by outing them to their parents against their will. In some cases, that could lead to abuse at home. It could mean the kid has to go through conversion torture. It could mean getting kicked out of the house. Going by a different name or pronoun is also not the sort of thing counselors should have to run by parents for approval. If that’s what the kid wants and it improves their mental well-being and ability to function in school, fantastic. (Keep in mind the Meads’ child may have told the counselors why he didn’t feel comfortable sharing this with his parents but we’re not privy to that information.)
I just can’t anymore with these people. Their utter moral depravity is absolutely unconscionable. First of all, they ABSOLUTELY refuse to understand what gender dysphoria is or what it means for children who are suffering. Then they force their children into a form of torture called “conversion therapy” which has been banned in multiple jurisdictions and states in the US.
I guarantee this situation is going to result in lasting harm for their transgender child. This child needs LOVE and ACCEPTANCE, not vilification or punishment. But as we all know with these anti-trans bigots, the cruelty is ALWAYS the point.
Follow me on my own Substack “Woke AF” where I often post information and cross-posted articles of specific concern to the rising right wing anti-trans and anti-LGBGTQ+ hatred in America.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/12/23/2213435/-Christian-parents-sue-Michigan-school-district-for-respecting-their-trans-child-s-humanity?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
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