I saw a story on BBC News that is seemingly being blocked here in America. I could be wrong, maybe you’ve heard about it. Either way, it definitely needs to be shared.
The BBC’s headline:
Puberty blockers: Under-16s ‘unlikely to be able to give informed consent’
Three High Court judges ruled that children under 16 with gender dysphoria are unlikely to be able to give informed consent to undergo treatment with puberty-blocking drugs.
Dame Victoria Sharp, who sat with Lord Justice Lewis and Mrs. Justice Lieven, wrote:
“It is highly unlikely that a child aged 13 or under would be competent to give consent to the administration of puberty blockers. It is doubtful that a child aged 14 or 15 could understand and weigh the long-term risks and consequences of the administration of puberty blockers.”
They added, according to the BBC, “in respect of young persons aged 16 and over, the legal position is that there is a presumption that they have the ability to consent to medical treatment. Given the long-term consequences of the clinical interventions at issue in this case, and given that the treatment is as yet innovative and experimental, we recognize that clinicians may well regard these as cases where the authorization of the court should be sought prior to commencing the clinical treatment.”
The BBC told the story of Keira Bell, one of the claimants in the case. Growing up, Bell was confused and distressed by her body.
At 16 years old, Bell became one of thousands of girls — some as young as 10 or 11 — referred to the Tavistock and Portman Trust, which runs the United Kingdom’s only gender-identity development service.
It was three one-hour appointments before Bell was prescribed puberty blockers before being put on testosterone. At 20, she had a double mastectomy.
Bell said she believed the treatment would help her “achieve happiness.”
And, she says:
“It was heartbreaking to realize I’d gone down the wrong path.”
Bell said the ruling isn’t political, but about protecting “vulnerable children.”
“I’m delighted to see that common sense has prevailed,” she said.
A lack of evidence about the long-term effects of puberty blockers adds to the difficulty of consent, according to the judges.
A person from a trans children’s charity called Mermaids called the ruling a “devastating blow.”
“We believe very strongly that every young person has the right to make their own decisions about their body and that should not differ because somebody is trans,” said Lui Asquith.
TIS commentary: While the ruling puts more of the decision into the court’s hands, which isn’t ideal, this ruling at least lifts the foot off the accelerator toward insanity. If you pray, sometime this weekend say a special prayer for Ms. Bell, that she may find strength and peace and, if she doesn’t already, come to know Jesus Christ. Her story is heart breaking.
