The news outlets continue to lie and say “Parental Rights” is just a way to “out” kids and ignore transgender youth. That couldn’t be a bigger lie. New Jersey has been infringing on the rights of parents with regards to directing the care, custody, and control of their children as a family since 2020 when the NJEA lobbied to keep the children masked FOR TWO YEARS. Kids are still suffering from that decision today with developmental delays, psychological problems and educational issues. New Jersey has taken the next step to infringe upon our rights as parents trying to impose gender affirming care by allowing the children to socially transition and live their life as the opposite gender within the walls of the school. The state DOES NOT have the RIGHT to impose medical and psychological therapies on our children.
Gender dysphoria (previously gender identity disorder) is a mental condition according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), defined as a “marked incongruence between their experienced or expressed gender and the one they were assigned at birth.” Basically, on the inside you don’t feel like the gender that your aligned chromosomes/sex organs dictate (or gender assigned at birth).
It becomes complicated when the American Psychiatric Association insists that diverse gender identities are not indications of mental illness. Of course rejecting male/female stereotypes and traditional gender roles does not make you mentally ill. “Traditional” gender roles change over time and with location. There are more American women in the workforce now as a breadwinner, which was traditionally a role only men would take on. Having long hair or short haircut style does NOT make you a man or a woman. Having certain defining personality traits does not make you a male or a female; women can be aggressive and men can be gentle. There is no biological rule that says men have to enjoy sports while women can only like shopping (I personally HATE shopping). There are plenty of examples of how gender roles, hobbies and personality characteristics really don’t define your gender. However, when a person’s inner sense of belonging to a particular gender (male or female) clearly does not match their chromosomes (except for the case of rare genetic anomalies), there is some mental issue going on there.
When a child is diagnosed with gender dysphoria, the popular treatment of today is “gender affirming care”, where “social transitioning” is the start of this highly controversial therapy, this involves changing your name and/or pronouns, appearance or expression (such as clothing or hairstyles), the restroom/locker room you use, and so on.
It’s important to note that children with gender dysphoria have accompanying mental health issues such as mood disorders, depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. Primary health care providers typically support adolescents with gender dysphoria and their families by providing guidance on the timing of social transitioning. Primary health providers CANNOT work with the schools because schools are not in charge of your child’s medical care. So when school allows your child to start a social transitioning therapy without your knowledge or consent, or even the guidance of a doctor, this could end up with disastrous results.
In your school district’s policy manual, you may find Optional policy 5756 which allows school officials to let your child start the social transition process in school and keep it confidential from you, the parent. How can the school officials even diagnose children with gender dysphoria, let alone direct a social transitioning therapy without a doctor overseeing this? I have no idea, but the state attorney general (directed by Governor Murphy) is suing Hanover for the policy that informs parents about ANY possible mental or physical health issues.
The reality is, it is more likely that the child does not even have gender dysphoria and is showing signs of confusion over the definitions of what it means to be a boy or a girl because our culture today (especially on social media like TikTok) over focuses on gender ideology which tries to define male/female by a person’s “gender expression” and “gender identity”. These terms are very loosely defined and complicated for adults to understand. What makes it more shocking is that these terms are included in the NJ STATE SEX-ED STANDARDS and are taught to students as early as 3rd grade. So the schools are teaching concepts that could cause gender confusion, then they take it upon themselves to direct a therapy that is designed for gender dysphoria.
Transgenderism, gender dysphoria, gender expression, gender identity and gender roles are complex issues that can be highly debated among adults. Its difficult to determine what is and what isn’t a mental illness. And if you are thinking “well the person writing this article is not a psychologist and has no business explaining what is and isn’t a healthy normal brain.” You are right… but the teacher in your school that is charged with the new state standards to help children understand the meaning of gender expression and gender identity is also NOT a psychologist as well.
NJ State Standards
K-2nd Grade
- 2.1.2.SSH.2: Discuss the range of ways people express their gender and how gender-role stereotypes may limit behavior.
3rd-5th Grade
- 2.1.5.SSH.1: Describe gender-role stereotypes and their potential impact on self and others.
- 2.1.5.SSH.2: Differentiate between sexual orientation and gender identity
- .2.1.5.SSH.3: Demonstrate ways to promote dignity and respect for all people (e.g. sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, differing ability, immigration status, family configuration).
6th -8th Grade
- 2.1.8.SSH.2: Develop a plan for the school to promote dignity and respect for people of all genders, gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations in the school community.
Parental Notification
Hanover is leading the way with parental notification Policy 8463. This policy requires administrators and staff to inform parents whenever a student discloses an issue or exhibits behaviors that may have an adverse impact on the child’s health, safety or well-being. This has caused the Murphy’s administration to lose its mind and sue the public school.
Many people in New Jersey think that the Attorney General is suing Hanover over controversial transgender Policy 5756, but this is not true. Policy 5756 was not modified or changed until September 11, once the BOE decided to drop it completely. Then, when the BOE dropped 5756, the Attorney General (AG) wrote the judge and tried to prevent Hanover from eliminating it. The AG also tried to force the school district to pay for the state attorney fees (imagine the nerve of suing someone and making them pay you for it). Last Friday the judge said no, they won’t pay your fees AND the school can drop 5756 because it is not mandatory. The judge is still preventing Hanover from enacting Policy 8463 so the school cannot tell parents if their child is showing signs of any behavior that may have an impact on the child’s health, safety or well-being. The legality of Policy 8463 will continue in the court case.
The Board of Education of Hanover made a very strong statement about the decision, reminding the judge that parents have a fundamental right under the 5th, 9th and 14th amendments of the constitution to direct the upbringing, education and care of their minor children.
The Hanover BOE is pretty confident that they will prevail, and so am I, after seeing the the recent win in Wisconsin. “The Court held that the Kettle Moraine School District violated parents’ constitutional rights to raise their own children by allowing minor students to change gender identity at school without parental consent, and even over their objection. The school cannot refer to students using a name or pronouns at odds with the student’s biological sex, while at school, without express parental consent.” Meanwhile in New Jersey, any school that wrote a policy to inform parents about ANYTHING that negatively affected the student is being shut down by our extremist leftist Attorney General’s office.
Parents are not the extremists here. The extremists are those who want to take rights away from parents and give those rights to the public school.
