The list of things 15-year-olds are not legally allowed to do in Oregon is long: Drive, smoke, donate blood, get a tattoo — even go to a tanning bed.
But, under a first-in-the-nation policy quietly enacted in January that many parents are only now finding out about, 15-year-olds are now allowed to get a sex-change operation. Many residents are stunned to learn they can do it without parental notification — and the state will even pay for it through its Medicaid program, the Oregon Health Plan.
“It is trespassing on the hearts, the minds, the bodies of our children,” said Lori Porter of Parents’ Rights in Education. “They’re our children. And for a decision, a life-altering decision like that to be done unbeknownst to a parent or guardian, it’s mindboggling.”
In a statement, Oregon Health Authority spokeswoman Susan Wickstrom explained it this way: “Age of medical consent varies by state. Oregon law — which applies to both Medicaid and non-Medicaid Oregonians — states that the age of medical consent is 15.”
While 15 is the medical age of consent in the state, the decision to cover sex-change operations specifically was made by the Health Evidence Review Commission (HERC).
Members are appointed by the governor and paid by the state of Oregon. With no public debate, HERC changed its policy to include cross-sex hormone therapy, puberty-suppressing drugs and gender-reassignment surgery as covered treatments for people with gender dysphoria, formally known as gender identity disorder.
HERC officials refused repeated requests by Fox News for an interview and even gave Fox News inaccurate information about the medical director’s work schedule.
Oregon Health Authority officials directed Fox News to their website. It shows transgender policy was discussed at four meetings in 2014. It was passed without any opposition or even discussion about teenagers’ new access to undergoing a sex change.
Gender dysphoria is classified by the American Psychiatric Association as a mental disorder in which a person identifies as the sex opposite of his or her birth. It is rare, affecting one out of every 20,000 males and one out of every 50,000 females.
According to a 2008 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, “most children with gender dysphoria will not remain gender dysphoric after puberty.”
Dr. Paul McHugh, who led the Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Department and still practices, said Oregon’s policy amounts to child abuse. “We have a very radical and even mutilating treatment being offered to children without any evidence that the long-term outcome of this would be good,” McHugh said.
Dr. Jack Drescher, a member of the APA who worked on the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Work Group, says treatment for gender dysphoria has received a lot more attention in recent years. He said this year New York changed its policy to cover cross-sex hormone drugs and sex-reassignment surgery for Medicaid recipients who are at least 18 years old. He thinks Oregon is offering the treatment too early.
“Children age 15 may not fully understand all the consequences of the procedures they are undergoing,” he said.
Jenn Burleton disagrees. She underwent a sex-reassignment surgery and started the Portland non-profit group TransActive. She said requiring parental consent would lead to more suffering and teen suicide attempts.
“Parents may not be supportive,” Burleton said. “They may not be in an environment where they feel the parent will affirm their identity, this may have been going on for years.”
The science is unsettled. A 2010 Murad study concluded “very low quality evidence suggests sex reassignment … improves gender dysphoria and overall quality of life.” The authors admitted the evidence was “sparse and inconclusive.”
Lisa Maloney, a parent and Scappoose, Ore., School Board member, is outraged.
“To know that taxpayers are now on the hook for that, that a child can do that without their parent’s knowledge or information or consent, parents have absolutely no say, that’s appalling,” Maloney said.
The Oregon Health Authority could not say how many Medicaid recipients have been treated for gender dysphoria since the new policy took effect in January. Oregon has 935,000 people enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan. HERC assumes between 14 and 112 of them may be gender dysphoric. It estimates the total cost of adding cross-sex hormone therapy, puberty-suppressing drugs and sex reassignment surgeries to the coverage will be no more than $150,000 per year.
But HERC also believes the state will save money due to fewer suicide attempts. It estimates there will be one less suicide attempt per year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the average cost per suicide attempt in the U.S. is $7,234.
But Dr. McHugh says a sex-change operation, especially for young people with gender dysphoria, is never appropriate.
“We can help them if we begin to explore with them and their families what they’re fearing about development, what they’re fearing about being a young boy, a young adolescent appropriate to themselves.”
Dan Springer joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in August 2001 as a Seattle-based correspondent.
“Age of medical consent varies by state. Oregon law — which applies to both Medicaid and non-Medicaid Oregonians — states that the age of medical consent is 15.”
BY WHOSE AUTHORITY, B#TCH???
A fifteen year old is not emotionally mature enough to make a decision of that magnitude. If the authorities ever brought one of my children home after sex change, their living status would change.
I can talk in puzzles and metaphors just like the mealy mouthed communists. Phrases with multiple meanings, obtuse use of vague language to make it difficult to decipher their true meaning, all part of the plan to give them “plausible deniability” just in case something goes amiss.
This is insane!
I’m in a state of disbelief #1. How could the people of Oregon allow this? How could people anywhere allow this? 15 F’n years old! Come on! “Yep, I want it cut off along with the nads! I’m a girl don’t ya know!”
The ” people ” didn’t allow it – see ICLEI.
Hey Mark, it will be interesting to see what happens in that arena as time passes. If people let this one slide, they need a boot up their arse!
Not as if we have any control over these psycho communists here either, Millard.
No getting away from the bast@rds!
Guess we’ll just have to kill them all.
Where do I sign?
On the Fed-Ex guy’s clipboard.
When he drops off the ammo.
ALL. No mercy, No quarter, let them rot in the street ( down wind ).
Only good commie…
Yes #1, the only thing we have control of is the trajectory of our thoughts and our bullets of common sense!
This is the ” horse ” ( corporate sponsored means ), the cart to program our children’s minds and souls from pre-school is already in place ( Common Core ). I see the plan to mind F$#k our children, get them to change gender, THEN, they’re completely confused, subservient, dependent, and divorced from God. To quote Cypher from the Matrix: ” What a mind job ” . . .
Soon!
I buy my ammo with cash on the barrelhead. No receipts. A few major retailers are demanding ID even though it’s not required in my state. I just move on.
Then there’s no need to sign.
Oh come on #1. You know the gig. “Where’s that ammo you purchased on June 28 at Walmart in Waco?” I don’t like popping up on the radar. And now, the retailers are required to store data, what’s up with that? (Even though every keystroke is stored in Utah, and what a scam that is!) Unusable bits lacking any actionable intelligence, it’s an overkill. What it does is it allows them to have post-facto evidence to convict you, bribe you, or ruin your life. If your “squeaky clean” don’t fret none. They’ll have you stinking like pig shit by the end of the day. But hey, the servers cost billions and the building looks pretty. They ran out of ideas to waste our tax money on. So they’ll be extorting people wholesale once they start selling the lists of names with the goods. What? Do you think that’s beneath them?
Where’s Angel? Haven’t seen her for days… ?
I buy ALL my ammo online with my credit card. I’m NOT hiding ( shows fear ), I WANT the MF’s to know who I am, and when they come: BYOBB – Bring Your Own Body Bag. 2, 3, 4 AM, fine with me, let’s rock-n-roll. That’s one reason I use my birth name here. But, no judgement against anyone else, it’s merely the path I choose to walk.
P.S. Like me Millard, you too are on a list.
I still like to use cash and leave no trail Mark. I’ve already raised a few eyebrows in town and buy out of town with cash now. Ammo is an excellent bartering tool.
Need a thumbprint in L.A.
What?
Since Jan. 2014.
I guess the 2nd amendment doesn’t take ammo into account? Of course not, dammit, what am I talking about! Truth be told, ammo is inclusive in the 2nd amendment although they’ve pissed all over our Bill of Rights and Constitution, why should they stop?
ups works for me.
No matter how much money and surgery is put into it.
They are nothing more than female impersonators.
“Age of medical consent varies by state. Oregon law — which applies to both Medicaid and non-Medicaid Oregonians — states that the age of medical consent is 15.”
That may apply to having your tonsils removed, but this particular procedure is about sexual consent, and the surgical team responsible for carrying it out should be arrested and tried for pedophilia.