By Aaron Earls
A judge has granted custody of a 17-year-old Ohio student to the teen’s grandparents instead of the teen’s parents, allowing the grandparents to make medical decisions regarding the teen’s intended gender transition.
The parents did not want the teenager undergoing hormone treatment but had continued to support the teen’s counseling and psychological treatment.
After expressing a desire to identify as a gender different from the teen’s birth gender, the teen began living with grandparents who supported the transition.
The parents agreed with the teenager remaining with the grandparents but objected when the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center recommended hormone therapy.
In her ruling, Judge Sylvia Sieve Hendon expressed concern the court system would be misused by teenagers in the future: “Should the Court take jurisdiction every time a minor threatens self-harm if he or she is unable to gain parents’ consent for some desired procedure, such as rhinoplasty or similar cosmetic surgery?”
Nonetheless, the judge granted custody to the grandparents, allowing the teen to adopt a new name and begin hormone therapy after additional evaluation by a psychologist not affiliated with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Why this matters to the church: Andrew Walker, author of God and the Transgender Debate, says the ruling is a “major setback for parental rights and religious liberty.”
https://twitter.com/andrewtwalk/status/964629701879914496
Resources:
- The Gospel for Life series by Russell Moore, Andrew Walker
- Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions About Life and Sexuality by Nancy Pearcey
- Ministry in the New Marriage Culture edited by Jeff Iorg
Related:
AARON EARLS (@WardrobeDoor) is online editor of Facts & Trends.
