A great deal of so-called ‘woke’ energy around the world has been mobilizing to demand more recognition for ‘trans’ rights, together with legal mechanisms to create a physical and ideological safe place for trans people in society as a whole.
The spectrum of trans support is wide, as is a fierce pushback against attempts to create a safe and secure place for trans people. Legislation concerning trans recognition and rights currently hangs in the balance in Scotland. There, recognition of trans rights has become a political hot potato, with the very existence of the Scottish National Party currently in power and shaken by controversy.
One important issue under debate is the age at which persons can legally decide for themselves whether they wish to transition from male to female, or vice versa.
This debate raises a broader question. Never mind the right to transition gender, what about all the other life-influencing events that a young person might wish to have some control over (maybe Asthma, diabetes, birth control)? Their concerns can include actions which the law might forbid, based on an individual’s status as a minor. This is particularly significant for young persons when there are no parents or others with guardian status in the picture.
New York State is treating this issue with both concern and action. Read more in The Imprint: New York’s Runaway and Homeless Minors Can Now Consent to Their Own Health Care
