West Virginia Bill Would Mandate "Curing" Trans People Of Being Trans Under 21

[Ivy]

I don't know what to say…

 

https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/west-virginia-bill-would-mandate?utm_source=substack&publication_id=994764&post_id=140586559&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=k5hac

 

"A new bill in West Virginia, Senate Bill 194, would enact a total ban on gender-affirming care for trans individuals up to 21 years old and mandates that all therapists and social workers in the state attempt to “cure” being transgender."

 

Looks like legally forced conversion therapy.

 

"…would impose the most draconian restrictions on gender-affirming care in the United States"

 

They're trying to outdo each other in oppression.

 

"One section defines being transgender as “sexual deviation” and places it alongside “pedophilia, exhibitionism, masochism, sadomasochism, fetishism,” and more."

 

"The bill mandates that all mental health care professionals would be prohibited from “exacerbating gender dysphoria” in those under 21 years of age by “continuing such condition, delusion, or disorder with no intent of cure or cure-pursuing recovery.” Therapists would be mandated to “cure” gender dysphoria, as affirming their transgender patients would be considered “continuing such condition, delusion, or disorder.”

 

"Another bill, Senate Bill 195, would target transgender people as being “obscene” and would bar “transgender exposure, performances, or display” to any minor. This could have the effect of barring transgender people from being able to exist in public, as it would be difficult to avoid being seen as a transgender person by a minor."

 

More fun from the party of personal freedom

God, they really hate us so much.

And people think I over react to these things.

[KathyLauren]

!!

What is wrong with those people?  Is it against forum policy to inquire about how to recruit an assassin?  Asking for a friend.

[Carolyn Marie]

10 minutes ago, KathyLauren said:

!!

What is wrong with those people?  Is it against forum policy to inquire about how to recruit an assassin?  Asking for a friend.

 

I'm afraid so, @KathyLauren.

 

Carolyn Marie

[emeraldmountain2]

THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATS IN DROVES THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DON'T LIKE DEMOCRATS, FINE, BUT TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM FOR OUR SURVIVAL AND VOTE DEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[VickySGV]

There is indeed a cure for the disease known as LIFE and their lives we can only hope are closer to that cure than our own.

 

From "THE TALK" given to me as an early pubescent child by my parents, I was conceived in West Virginia in student housing on their university campus.  I am simply glad they came back here to CA to finish that job, since I was eventually born in Los Angeles.  I am here now 76 years later and happy for it.

[KathyLauren]

59 minutes ago, Carolyn Marie said:

 

I'm afraid so, @KathyLauren.

 

Carolyn Marie

 

I guess I won't ask, then. 

[awkward-yet-sweet]

28 minutes ago, KathyLauren said:

 

I guess I won't ask, then. 

If there is a phone number available for the Clintons, they might know 🤔. 

 

All jokes aside, when one major party seems to stand for assassinations, social engineering, and forced vaccination while the other major party seems to stand for conversion therapy or possibly even concentration camps.... there isn't much of a choice. Not a legal choice,  anyway. 

 

My parents subjected me to a light form of conversion therapy. That was before they figured out 100% about my identity. After enduring that, no way in hell I'm going back.

[KathyLauren]

1 hour ago, Ivy said:

Therapists would be mandated to “cure” gender dysphoria

 

While I don't think my stomach could handle reading the draft bill, this clause could be a blessing in disguise.  Because we all know that there is only one cure for dysphoria: transition.

[emeraldmountain2]

1 minute ago, KathyLauren said:

While I don't think my stomach could handle reading the draft bill, this clause could be a blessing in disguise.  Because we all know that there is only one cure for dysphoria: transition.

We know that, but not these ignoramuses.

[Ivy]

Living in a (newly) red state, it is hard not to be extremely depressed when I read these things.  When one state does things like this, the others vie to outdo them.  They won't stop at 21yrs.

[Audrey]

I *am* a social worker, and I would refuse to practice in a state with laws that so clearly violate my profession's code of ethics.

 

This WV proposal is beyond the pall. But so are all the others we have read about recently. I do not know about you all, but I am getting outrage fatigue from all of these bills coming out. They are essentially a rehash of Jim Crow, just targeting transgender people instead. I do not see how any of this plays to the general electorate. I think these findings from the Pew Research Center (2022) suggest that the extreme rhetoric will not necessarily translate to votes. Especially the bit about poll respondents not paying close attention to these kinds of bills. Besides, the larger the voting base is for an elected office, the more a centrist position will resonate with voters.

 

Love,

~Audrey.

[KatieSC]

I try to stay upbeat and positive, but stuff like this just destroys any hope I have that things will get better. I wish I understood what is driving this level of hate. They just need to give me a little notice as to when they will be sending the bus to pick me up, take me to the railroad station, put me on the train, then take me to the re-education (concentration camp). I have the feeling they will march us to a nice shower to refresh us after our trip...

 

History repeating itself...

[KatieSC]

37 minutes ago, Audrey said:

I *am* a social worker, and I would refuse to practice in a state with laws that so clearly violate my profession's code of ethics.

 

This WV proposal is beyond the pall. But so are all the others we have read about recently. I do not know about you all, but I am getting outrage fatigue from all of these bills coming out. They are essentially a rehash of Jim Crow, just targeting transgender people instead. I do not see how any of this plays to the general electorate. I think these findings from the Pew Research Center (2022) suggest that the extreme rhetoric will not necessarily translate to votes. Especially the bit about poll respondents not paying close attention to these kinds of bills. Besides, the larger the voting base is for an elected office, the more a centrist position will resonate with voters.

 

Love,

~Audrey.

Yeah, I keep narrowing the list of states that I will consider working in. What I find interesting is when recruiters contact me about positions in these Red states, and I tell them I am trans and I would never consider working I these places. Not one recruiter has taken the time to write back and say anything positive. 

[Ivy]

1 hour ago, Audrey said:

Especially the bit about poll respondents not paying close attention to these kinds of bills.

This seems like part of the problem.  These bills don't concern them personally, so they don't really care.  Our rights are not an issue for most cis people.  They're not going to do the research.  XX and XY makes sense to them, so what's the problem?

I expect to be an outlaw soon.

[Ivy]

And I say, be an outlaw - not detransition.

[emeraldmountain2]

1 hour ago, Audrey said:

I *am* a social worker, and I would refuse to practice in a state with laws that so clearly violate my profession's code of ethics.

If the right wing gains control during this year's elections, there's a high chance you eventually won't be able to practice anywhere in the US if you want to maintain your ethics.

[Audrey]

@Ivy I will gladly go rogue too since de-transition is absolutely not an option. I do wonder if the indifference towards transgender issues plays both ways. On the one hand, ignorance comes at a cost as you write when not enough people take notice. But on the other hand, if elected officials are overly focused on bills targeting trans people, astute voters will catch on and wonder why they are not dealing with real problems and instead just legislating hate towards a tiny minority. Hate is not a sustainable platform. It is what you do when you have *no* platform. The trouble is, there are other single-issue voters out there that will vote accordingly, making the trans issues just collateral damage for the other causes.

 

@emeraldmountain2I am used to having my profession marginalized and misunderstood. At its heart, social work is about advocacy and empowerment. No one I know would stand for policies that would deliberately harm clients, and we take our commitment to ethics deeply seriously. It cannot be legislated away and has the support of numerous professional organizations including the NASW. There are more than 700,000 of us in the United States. That is a pretty big voice if someone tried to invalidate an entire profession.

 

Love,

~Audrey.

[EasyE]

I can understand encouraging a young person to go slow with things ... just as we would encourage them to go slow with career choices, college choices, marriage/relationship choices ... it's why we prohibit drinking and voting until a certain age and have an age-of-consent for marriage/sexual relations ... these are monumental issues/decisions that have lifelong impacts, some irreversible... 

 

but good grief, why the warfare on the transgender world? I don't understand the vitriol toward folks who wrestle with gender identity issues at all. Is it because it's an easy group to target because they don't "fight" back?

 

Why not create safe environments where young folks can work out who they are? Provide some guardrails, yes, as any good parent/authority would, but good grief can we please stop criminalizing every little thing in this country?

[Betty K]

I rarely comment on these terrifying updates from the States because I figure it’s not my place and you all must feel bad enough already without us Australians pitying you. I also don’t know how much longer I can bear to look at the deluge of anti-trans bills being proposed by Republicans; Michael Knowles was not kidding when he said they would “eradicate transgenderism”. All that said, I’m so sorry. Every time I read something like this I feel a sinking, frightened feeling, and then I think how much worse it must be for people in the States. This one hit me especially hard when I read it first thing this morning. I feel SO sorry for the kids who will be affected by this. 
 

So yeah. I feel your pain, American friends. I don’t know what else to say. A blessing on each and every one of you.

[Carolyn Marie]

24 minutes ago, Betty K said:

So yeah. I feel your pain, American friends. I don’t know what else to say. A blessing on each and every one of you.

 

Thank you very much, @Betty K.  While there isn't much you and other Australians (and Kiwis) can directly do to help, it's reassuring that you all are out there and rooting for us and offering support.  It really does mean a lot, and is appreciated.  ❤️

 

Carolyn Marie

[Betty K]

You’re welcome @Carolyn Marie. Stay strong!

[awkward-yet-sweet]

5 hours ago, Audrey said:

I do not see how any of this plays to the general electorate. I think these findings from the Pew Research Center (2022) suggest that the extreme rhetoric will not necessarily translate to votes. Especially the bit about poll respondents not paying close attention to these kinds of bills.

 

Well, it doesn't seem to play to the general electorate.  Granted my area is a bit "unique" but many here are really irritated that the Republicans won't talk about inflation or the real issues the Democrats have caused.  Instead, the candidates' talk is all trans all the time.  I truly believe average member of the Republican base is voting for them *in spite of* the trans talk, rather than because of it. 

 

4 hours ago, Ivy said:

And I say, be an outlaw - not detransition.

 

"When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty."  - Thomas Jefferson

 

The crap our state and federal governments force us to accept would have made King George blush with shame.  In my opinion (and that of many others) the ballot box is a complete failure, and complying with a bad system is not productive. 

 

3 hours ago, emeraldmountain2 said:

If the right wing gains control during this year's elections, there's a high chance you eventually won't be able to practice anywhere in the US if you want to maintain your ethics.

 

I'm pretty sure that won't happen. 

 

2 hours ago, Betty K said:

I rarely comment on these terrifying updates from the States because I figure it’s not my place and you all must feel bad enough already without us Australians pitying you.

 

Well, as Dr. Phil would say, life is about choices.  I'd choose to live here instead of elsewhere for a number of other reasons.  The thing to really feel bad about is that there's nowhere in the world to go for true freedom.  Unless some volcano builds a nice new island, we're basically screwed until we can colonize in space. 

[Betty K]

4 hours ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

The thing to really feel bad about is that there's nowhere in the world to go for true freedom. 

No, for me thing to really feel bad about is that kids in West Virginia are very likely going to be brainwashed into hating themselves for being trans. And even if they’re not — even if this bill doesn’t pass and/or therapists en masse refuse to obey it — this attitude will trickle down to their schools and to people in the street and maybe even to their own families, and the result may be roughly the same. I can’t think of any freedom that’s more important than the freedom of a child to be themselves without the state attempting to mandate their perception of their own identity. 

[Charlize]

As i tried to walk the first steps after getting a new a managed to get 10 or 12 feet away from my bed.  The PT  told me to go back in reverse as it was much easier since my foot could slide.  It was great.  I stopped, looked at my therapist and said:  "Backwards is often easier.......just look at the GOP.

We are out and as painful as it is I'm sure we will move on and that alone will help the trans folk under attack.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[emeraldmountain2]

9 hours ago, Audrey said:

I am used to having my profession marginalized and misunderstood. At its heart, social work is about advocacy and empowerment. No one I know would stand for policies that would deliberately harm clients, and we take our commitment to ethics deeply seriously. It cannot be legislated away and has the support of numerous professional organizations including the NASW. There are more than 700,000 of us in the United States. That is a pretty big voice if someone tried to invalidate an entire profession.

I very, very much hope you are correct @Audrey.

 

Politics and attitudes change, though, and as has been seen throughout history industry practices change due to legislation and regulation, professions get decimated, oppressive laws get passed, authoritarian regimes establish where they were once though infeasible, and so on.