A Call To All Good Citizens

A couple of bills have been introduced to Connecticut General Assembly that I just found out about today and they affect our community.

I remember when I was Executive Director of CT TansAdvocacy Coalition I used to send out calls for testimony. But now there is only silence out of the LGBTQ+ organizations here in Connecticut.

I don’t know why other organization didn’t spread the word about the hearings, but there wasn’t one peep from any of them about these bills. I don’t know if it is because fiefdoms and silos that they wanted to keep this information close to their chests but… the results were all I see is testimony in opposition to the bills!

The first bill that I’m tracking is…

SB 5417 AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES

(b) Each local or regional board of education shall provide a reason if such board removes or restricts access to any library material belonging to the collection of a school library or media center. No board shall remove or restrict access to library material for any of the following:

(1) Partisan approval or disapproval of any library material by the board;

(2) An author's race, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation or political or religious views;

(3) Personal discomfort, morality or political or religious views of a member or members of the board;

(4) An author's points of view concerning current events, whether international, national or local;

(5) The race, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation or political or religious views of a protagonist or other characters or as otherwise represented in the library material; or

(6) The content of the library material is related to sexual health and addresses physical, mental, emotional or social dimensions of human sexuality, including, but not limited to, puberty, sex and relationships.

This prevents the banning of books like they do in Republican states. The books cannot be banned just because there are trans or gay characters or it is about Black history or other protected class.

But get a load of the testimony…

This one is by Teachers/Parents Against Porn who wrote,

Given the current state of activism within the American Library Association, it is outrageous that the Connecticut legislature would propose to restrict any elected officials rights to remove inappropriate, highly sexualized materials in school libraries. Over the past 10 years, activists have created thousands of books sexualizing children as young as infants. These social contagion materials should have never been allowed in the public schools funded by taxpayer dollars as they do not promote actual education in reading, writing, history or math. Children will never be tested on this material; it is not required for

advancement or graduation.

The ALA, CLA (Connecticut Library Association) and other proponents of sexualized materials in public schools are hiding behind policies that are intentionally deceptive to the average person. They claim that parents are trying to promote censorship and/or intolerance which is a bold faced lie. Parent’s objections are based on the immoral content including highly graphic sexualized activity. The types of books we are talking about include but are not limited to descriptions and drawings of sexual acts and introductions to sexually explicit activities including accessing pornography on the internet.

So tell me where in the bill does it say that the law doesn’t ban pornography? To these people anything LGBTQ is porn.

A person against the bill wrote…

School libraries serve children. Their function is to share knowledge through age-appropriate written material, which would not include a Pandora's Box of harmful and inappropriate information that can be misconstrued and confusing to a young mind, or an old one for that matter.

Therefore, I believe local and regional school boards are in the best position to discern what is the best interest of their student base and their decisions concerning said interests should not be stymied by Raised H.B. No. 5417, which I object to.

Another person against the bill…

I am totally opposed to this bill...this is a complete over reach of state authority, and should NOT be in any way considered. Librarians should not have the authority to be protected under any such law so as to provide our children with books that are deemed inappropriate in their content. No Board of Education should be prohibited from overseeing what books are allowed in school libraries, and for that matter in school curriculums. This is our role as board members, hence it is why were are elected. I vehemently oppose this bill.

Then we have this organization which opposes any LGBTQ legislation, 

Taking points that I want to make:

• This bill does nothing more than to prevent discrimination based on protected classes, they can still ban books because it porn. What it does do is to prevent books from being removed because bias.
• This bill doesn’t remove the authority of the local elected offices or boards but what it does do is to make sure that they are not banning books because of protected classes.

*****

The second bill that I’m tracking is,

SB 214 AN ACT CONSOLIDATING STATUTORY PROVISIONS RELATING TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

The bill adds…

(2) "Gender-affirming health care services" means all medical care relating to the treatment of gender dysphoria as set forth in the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" and gender incongruence, as defined in the most recent revision of the "International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems"; and tatistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems"; and

(3) "Person" includes an individual, a partnership, an association, a limited liability company or a corporation.

(b) When any person has had a judgment entered against such person, in any state, where liability, in whole or in part, is based on the alleged provision, receipt, assistance in receipt or provision, material support for, or any theory of vicarious, joint, several or conspiracy liability derived therefrom, for reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care services that are permitted under the laws of this state, such person may recover damages from any party that brought the action leading to that judgment or has sought to enforce that judgment. Recoverable damages shall include:

(1) Just damages created by the action that led to that judgment, including, but not limited to, money damages in the amount of the judgment in that other state and costs, expenses and reasonable attorney's fees spent in defending the action that resulted in the entry of a judgment in another state; and

(2) costs, expenses and reasonable attorney's fees incurred in bringing an action under this section as may be allowed by the court.

Statement of Purpose:

To consolidate various provisions of the general statutes relating to reproductive health care services and gender-affirming health care services by incorporating existing statutory language concerning gender-affirming health care services into existing statutes concerning reproductive health care services.

The testimony at the hearing really brought out a lot of negative testimony…

A nun wrote,

Hello. I believe that the traditional American family, consisting of persons related by blood or adoption through the marriage of one man and one woman. This is the cornerstone of American society and the

government is duty-bound to protect the integrity of the family unit as described by scripture, through legislation. This bill does not support my values.

Thank you for your consideration.

A doctor wrote,

I am very concerned about the lack of wisdom in allowing children to transition genders. The brain doesn’t develop until age 25. To make irreversible decisions before the rational brain is fully developed is a disservice to the people they have the potential of becoming and liking as an adult (themselves). The long term health concerns of taking hormones of the opposite gender is also a serious concern. Suicidal ideation increases, general life expectancy decreases and quality of life decreases. The complications of their medical care have no good solutions. I believe it is important to protect children. That is the primary responsibility of their parents. This bill cripples a parent’s ability to help and protect their child. I strongly oppose it and hope you will too. Please protect our children.

Boy! For a doctor he sure has it upside down the suicidal ideations is cause by people like the good doctor. By people who try to block us from our true gender, people who think we are going to hell!

Another in opposition,

SB 214 seeks to end civilization as we know it. Our Founding Fathers, in their innate wisdom, put Christian values into our constitution. This bill seeks to tear out sacred document. “Gender Affirmation” was first used as a term by scientists in German camps in the 1940s. Just listen to it on the War Room. This is a scheme to make our children communists.

This is the quality of the opposing, they have no idea what the bill is about but they heard it was bad from a right-wing propagandist.

This organization has opposed every Trans or LGBTQ bill...

My name is Leslie Wolfgang and I am the Director of Public Policy for the Family Institute of Connecticut. I am testifying against SB214. I am providing some background on the bill, proposing an edit and also addressing gender-affirming health care for minors more generally. In the matter of SB214, the underlying law was likely passed in response to bans in other states of certain gender-affirming care for minors. The law creates hurdles for litigants before the State may use its resources to issue summons, subpoenas and more. The State’s ability to assist depends on whether there is “gender affirming” care and a “similar claim would exist under the laws of this state”. It is bound to raise “suspect class” issues and deserves closer scrutiny by people familiar with U.S. Constitution jurisprudence.

At the root of every lawsuit is a hurting person. In the matter of these lawsuits from out-of-state related to gender-affirming health care services . . there is likely a person who received gender-affirming services as a child and is now suing a medical provider.

The law creates another level of review and mechanism for The law creates another level of review and mechanism for a counter-suit against people who are likely already experiencing mental, physical and financial anguish in pursuit of their claims. Who makes a determination about whether there would be a similar claim under CT law? How will it be proven?

Minors in particular, have no control over the laws of their state-- whether something is banned or permitted. They have no control over the state where they received treatment. This law creates uncertainties and hurdles for them as they seek to have their legal claims fairly heard and investigated.

I recommend this bill be amended to exclude claims from people who received their treatment as minors. States that have banned gender-affirming care for minors have a point. “Gender affirming” care is not new, but it is not settled science either. In my written testimony I am providing a link to a February 2, 2024, New York Times article titled “As Kids, They Thought They Were Trans. They No Longer Do” and also ‘Gender-Affirming Care Is Dangerous. I Know Because I Helped Pioneer It.’. In that article, the chief psychiatrist for one of the first international gender clinics, talks about the pressure by activists on doctors to ignore their training and provide only “gender-affirming” care. She also re-iterates data that up to 80% of children resolve their gender dysphoria if allowed to complete puberty without medical intervention. She quotes a 2020 study that states “In light of available evidence, gender reassignment of minors is an experimental practice.” and warns that “young people, whose brains were still maturing, lacked the ability to properly assess the consequences of making decisions they would have to live with for the rest of their lives.”

There is a lot more that he writes. What we need to do is counter him with facts! Our own personal stories… but above all be respectful! Let their hate and lies show and our love shine.

We need to write about why this bill is so important to us the trans community.

You can find your legislator here… at the main Connecticut General Assembly’s web page, scroll down to “Find Your Legislators.”

For tips on testifying and writing letters (use the same format as speaking in a hearing, but you are not limited to 3 minutes.) see what I wrote here… “Testifying and Speaking in Public”

We people people to counter these negative testimonies! We need you to write or talk to your legislator! Help us to help you and the others in the LGBTQ+ community.