Del's Elizabeth R. Guzman (D-Prince William) first proposed a measure that would expand the definition of child abuse to entail inflicting "physical or mental harm" on kids due to gender identity or sexual orientation. According to Local News Today, democrats have already thrown out the law in 2020 on the grounds of redundancy noting that child abuse was already illegal in the state code for some reason.
However, the Peruvian-American politician found herself in the spotlight of the nation's LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or Questioning) culture wars after reintroducing a bill that drew small attention when it was first introduced two years ago. The bill sustained various descriptions in a television report saying that the Northern Virginia lawmaker wanted parents to be prosecuted if they fail to validate both their child's sexual orientation and gender identity.
Such a description is inaccurate which only drew objections from Republicans and Democrats alike. Only a few Republicans understood the media's report indicating that parents who refuse their kid's gender-affirming medical treatment would be guilty of child molestation, which is something that is not included in the bill.
On the other hand, Guzman along with other Virginia Democrats wanted to dispatch officers on parents and charge them with a felony if they decline on providing young ones puberty blockers and irreversible reassignment surgery.
"Parents could be accused of causing emotional abuse"
Guzman noted that her measure only voices physical or emotional abuse inflicted on a child. Gender-affirming medical treatments have not been mentioned even though some Republicans have recommended that "parents could be accused of causing emotional abuse" if they do not provide any support to their child's LGBTW identity.
Furthermore, Republican assertions caught fire only three weeks before the congressional elections as many Republican candidates emphasize and note the issue of parental rights which enabled Gov. Glenn Youngkin to win the Executive Mansion last year. Also, the issue was already at a boiling point when Gov. Youngkin attempted to roll back transgender rights in K-12 institutions and schools.
Sen. Ted Cruz told the news outlet that the bill itself was horrifying as they will immediately put parents behind bars if they disagree. Rep. Abigail Spanbenger added that she opposed the bill in a close re-election campaign against Republican Yesli Vega in the state's recently drafted 7th Circuit. Noting that she does not support the bill and it has no way forward in the General Assembly as it is still not clear how such proposed legislation is intended to provide assistance to transgender children and their families.
Nevertheless, the bill expands programs that stop and minister child abuse and neglect to discourse issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth, Congress says.
Does the bill seek to make it a crime when parents disagree?
The member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 31, clarifies that the 2020 law is a child safety law that is mainly intended to protect children from any physical or mental harm based on the child's preferred gender identity or sexual orientation and the way the bill was introduced in the television and media was terribly wrong.
The lawmaker explained that the bill itself has not mentioned filing criminal charges for anything except the physical and mental abuse described in her original bill. Adding that the bill was misrepresented thus many misinterpret the bill which only seeks to prevent child abuse. The bill only states that parents do not have the right to abuse children just because they are part of the LGBTQ community.
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