#13: Childrens Rights
Going along with the ever so prevalent topic of LGBTQ discrimination, today I am going to discuss a recent bill out of California that helps solidify childrens rights to mental health services.
Homophobia has always run rampant, along with transphobia, but in the last few years the political agenda to demonize the LGBTQ community has increased significantly. A few posts ago, I spoke about how the media used the Nashville shooting to further demonize the trans community, rather than focus on the actual gun violence issue and what it is caused by. Many states have passed laws to restrict the rights of trans youth and restrict their access to gender affirming care.
Assembly Bill 665 was based in California in February of 2023. The law expands off of mental health and services rights that are already afforded to citizens of the state. The bill would allow for children between the ages of 12 and 17 to seek mental health treatment and mental health services without receieving permission from their parents or guardians. Nothing in the bill speaks about potential removal from the home or allows the child to be taken from the parents custody because of the law.
Many right wing media outlets have taken this story and ran with it in order to better fit their narrative and political agenda. Fox's headline stated "California parents outraged over 'terrifying' mental health bill". The commentator given a spot on the segment told viewers that if a child was seeking mental help and confided in their counselor that their parents refused to provide gender affirming services, that the child could be "whisked away" by Child Protection Services.
The bill does not specifically mention gender affirming services and again, there is no mention of the bill being used as grounds to remove children from their homes. Fox's anchors take the sensationalism one step further, by arguing that child themselves could be removed from the home if they argued that their parents were not respecting their afforded rights based on this bill. This is simply not true, and incredibly far from the truth and information provided in the bill. Either the reporters chose to not read the bill and do their own proper research on the subject, or they simply did not care enough to report the truth. They would rather pick and choose information that will assist them in achieving their goal rather than properly educate their viewers on what is happening.
You are not wrong, sensationalism seems to have gotten out of control over the past several years, dangerously enflaming news audiences. I think this is a very interesting bill though, I don't watch fox news and hadn't really heard about it but I think it is very important. The claims Fox News is making about the content and execution of the bill sounds remarkably similar to the arguments planned parenthood faced when they were in the process of making healthcare available without parental consent. Mental health care is a remarkably under provided service in the United States especially so I am glad this bill has been introduced.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am in support of the bill that has been passed to protect the mental health of the youth, I also have reservations regarding a bill that is intruding itself into the personal lives of citizens. A parent's responsibility is to shape their children's minds and do their utmost to raise them to the highest levels of potential. It appears that a new bill has been created, which states that children aged 12 to 17, who are still very much in their childhood, can receive treatment without the consent of their parents, which is seemingly an overstepping of boundaries into the homes of families. It is understandable that there are special circumstances for children who do not have parental support or for those whose parents are not suitable guardians, however, it is somewhat alarming that the law enables them to become their own guardians when it comes to their mental health. Even though it is a challenging stage, it is still an essential period of growth that requires attentive parenting. I'm not in opposition to this, I would just like to understand the procedure a child would have to go through in order to get this treatment and if it includes the dispensing of any medications.
ReplyDeleteIt is concerning to see how some media outlets are using sensationalism and misinformation to push their political agenda and further demonize the LGBTQ community. The passage of Assembly Bill 665 in California is a positive step towards ensuring that children have access to mental health services without needing permission from their parents or guardians. However, it is unfortunate to see how some media outlets are spreading false information about the bill, causing unnecessary fear and outrage among parents and the general public. It is important for journalists to do their due diligence and report on the facts accurately, rather than cherry-picking information that supports their biases and narratives. Misinformation can have serious consequences and can further marginalize vulnerable communities.
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