Maine Gender-Affirming Care Bill Stifles Conventional Gender Views

My beloved home state of Maine prides itself on a politically independent streak as big as the north woods. Unfortunately, in the name of compassion, a newly proposed Maine law would buck our independent ways by effectively criminalizing dissent on one of the most controversial topics in American politics today: gender.

LD 1735, “An Act to Safeguard Gender-affirming Health Care,” would allow Maine courts to take custody of any child from their parents if the latter disagree with “gender-affirming care” as defined by the state. That is no exaggeration — the bill text specifically says a court may take temporary custody of a child “in an emergency” if the child is present in Maine and “has been unable to obtain gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care.”

JE

About the Author

James Erwin

James Erwin is a native of Yarmouth, Maine, and an alumnus of Bates College. He works on free-speech and tech policy in Washington, D.C.

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My beloved home state of Maine prides itself on a politically independent streak as big as the north woods. Unfortunately, in the name of compassion, a newly proposed Maine law would buck our independent ways by effectively criminalizing dissent on one of the most controversial topics in American politics today: gender.

LD 1735, “An Act to Safeguard Gender-affirming Health Care,” would allow Maine courts to take custody of any child from their parents if the latter disagree with “gender-affirming care” as defined by the state. That is no exaggeration — the bill text specifically says a court may take temporary custody of a child “in an emergency” if the child is present in Maine and “has been unable to obtain gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care.”