Maine’s transgender health care bill sparks right-wing meltdown over phantom kidnappings
Author: Christopher Wiggins
A Maine bill aimed to protect transgender youth’s access to care triggers outlandish claims of child-snatching as right-wingers wage a war of words on the proposed legislation.
However, the actual text of LD 1735 does not stipulate state custody in cases of parental opposition to gender-affirming procedures. Instead, the bill aims to block the enforcement of subpoenas and arrests related to gender-affirming health care if such actions are based on the laws of another state that conflict with Maine’s protections.
Amid the escalating furor and severe weather in Maine contributing to scheduling challenges, the Maine House’s judiciary committee postponed its Wednesday work session on LD 1735 to January 25. The postponement coincides with increased public pressure and the campaign of criticism directed at the committee members.
Republican state Rep. David Haggan, who described the bill in alarming terms, was quoted as saying, “This bill authorizes the kidnapping and massacring of children from other states without parental consent,” as reported by The Daily Mail.
As journalist Erin Reed points out, “The Maine bill aims to ensure that transgender individuals and their families, who seek safety and medical care in the state, are not compelled to return to their home states by extremist attorneys general, possibly under the threat of arrest. It would also make arresting the parents of trans youth pursuant to out of state warrants the ‘lowest law enforcement priority.'”
It would allow Maine jurisdiction in custody battles if one parent lives in a state with banned or restricted gender-affirming care and the other lives in Maine.
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Original Article on The Advocate
Author: Christopher Wiggins
