Biden Reportedly Weaponizing Title IX to Push Harmful “Gender Transitioning” for Children and Adolescents

Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas’s Governor Greg Abbott have taken steps to protect children from irreparable bodily changes by advocates of “transgender ideology”—and the Biden administration is reportedly planning to right them using executive fiat rather than normal legislative processes.

The president’s weapon of choice is Title IX. This prohibits “sex-based discrimination” in federally funded schools. But it leaves broad scope for “interpretation” by presidential administrations—which Biden will likely use to redefine “sex” as “sex stereotypes, sex-related characteristics (including intersex traits), pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.”

Biden and his allies allege the initiatives of DeSantis and Abbott harm children. In reality they’re grounded in the same science as policies embraced in such leftist dominated countries as Finland and Sweden. These include:
 

• Concerns about the effects of medical procedures used for “gender transitioning.”

These may impact children's and adolescents' bone and brain development. Whether they have other significant long-term side effects remains unknown. This includes potentially negative psychological effects.
 

• Concerns related to the psychology and mental capacity of children and adolescents.

Many who wish to be a different gender as children and adolescents accept their “biological sex” by the time they are adults. One study found “just under three-quarters of pre-pubescent children attending gender identity clinics may not want to change their gender once puberty starts.” All children and many adolescents—too young to buy a bottle of champagne or box of cigars—lack the mature understanding needed for decisions with irreversible long-term consequences.
 

• Evidence that improvements in the mental health of those “transitioning” are due to other factors.

One study found psychological functioning among German children with gender dysphoria (“clinically significant distress or impairment related to a strong desire to be of another gender”) correlated to family functioning and the quality of peer relationships—not “transitioning.”

Dr. Hilary Cass of Britain’s National Health Service found that: “GnRH agonists [so-called ‘puberty blockers] lead to little or no change in gender dysphoria, mental health, body image and psychosocial functioning.”
 

• Evidence suggesting there may not be a widespread link between “non-acceptance” of “transitioning” and suicide.

Suicide rates among the gender dysphoric are lower than many claim. Perhaps half of such attempts are “cries for help.” Higher suicide rates among the gender dysphoric are comparable to those among people with other mental health problems—bipolar disorder, depression, borderline personality disorder, etc.

Those factors alone justify the policies of DeSantis and Abbott. But the reality they are fighting is worse, with school districts keeping parents in the dark about their children’s “gender transitioning” just the tip of the iceberg.

Many social workers, counselors, teachers, etc. never seriously examine those expressing newfound interest in the possibility of “transitioning.” Such students are immediately “affirmed”—a euphemism for being told “transitioning” is the right decision. In Florida and California schools allegedly took the initiative to convince students they were “transgender" while hiding this from parents.

Yet one study found interest in “transitioning” was grounded in other mental health problems in 70% of cases. Both parents and the "formerly transgendered" have noted a common trend: Students with social, family or mental health problems become dissatisfied with their sex only after interacting with the “transgender community.”

As if that is not bad enough, the medical information given to “affirm” (encourage) “transitioning” is often inaccurate. Many “formerly transgender” individuals record the various health and relationship problems the have subsequently suffered.

Parents are often more objective. Refusing to "affirm" their children's "transgender" whims has led to their children having improved mental health and being happy with their "biological sex." The mental health of children legally removed from their care of such parents can continue to deteriorate. In some cases they commit suicide.

Removing children from the care of objective and loving parents is common policy only in some states. But there are many other ways of undermining the rights of parents over their children. Schools have a particular potential for doing so and Biden's reported Title IX revisions will exploit this.

Why then, is there such strong support for “transitioning.” The reason is not found in science or mental health. It is found in ideology.

Biology tells us people are conceived with male or female chromosomes. Our sex, like our species, is dictated by biology. Medical procedures can change bodies’ appearances, not their determinative chromosomal core. Believing human choice or “feelings of gender identity” can override biology’s dictates is grounded in an ideology of “radical autonomy”—not science.

Pushing children and adolescents to “transition” is about creating social acceptance of “transitioning” or advertising one’s own acceptance of it—not children’s best interests. The result of it is that those who could go on to live perfectly normal lives have their bodies mutilated before they are old enough to fully understand what they are doing.

Florida, Texas and many concerned parents are working to prevent that. If Biden is going to twist Title IX to obstruct their efforts, legislators must revise Title IX to prohibit Biden’s proposed “interpretation.”