House majority leader: Why Tennessee should ban surgeries for transgender youth | Opinion

• William Lamberth is the House Majority Leader for the 112th General Assembly. Lamberth, a Republican, lives in Portland and represents Tennessee House District 44, which includes part of Sumner County

Editor's note: The Tennessean has been covering the concern and controversy surrounding gender affirming care and the Vanderbilt University Health Clinic from the reaction of elected officials to the pushback concerning misinformation. This issue has spurred debate across the community and we are publishing different perspectives including this one. You can link to other views below. Two pillars of The Tennessean’s opinion and engagement mission is to welcome diverse viewpoints and amplify underrepresented views.

• Another view: I am a transgender man in Tennessee, not a political pawn; my story matters | Opinion
• Another view: What is Tennessee's problem with trans children? They need support not derision. | Opinion
• Another view:Why The Daily Wire report on Vanderbilt's transgender clinic is no investigation | Plazas

Cultural forces from the left would like us to accept an alarming new myth; that gender is not a biological reality.

They’d like us to believe it’s okay when a mediocre male athlete decides to identify as a woman – and surprise – breaks records previously held by females.

Or that the mixing of transgender boys and girls with the opposite sex in locker rooms and restrooms doesn’t infringe on someone else’s reasonable expectation to the right of privacy and dignity in such places.

The latest and most disturbing obsession by this movement is that sex is “assigned” at birth by medical professionals to a baby when it is born and that the child can later choose their gender.

Seemingly overnight, an entire medical industry has emerged advocating to allow children to define their own disorder and prescribe the remedy. They offer validation and a promise to vulnerable children and teens who don’t like their bodies. They tell them they can feel whole through harmful, experimental treatments like puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and permanent surgical destruction of their genitalia. All of this well before a young person has had the chance to begin to understand their sexuality.

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Youth lack maturity to understand the consequences of their actions

The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh recently brought to light this shocking practice happening at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Pediatric Transgender Clinic. Unbelievably, this madness isn’t unique to Nashville.

Washington state this year passed legislation allowing children as young as 13 to begin gender-reassignment surgery without parental consent. Other states like Alabama and Arkansas – where common sense prevails – are beginning to prohibit these radical procedures on minors.

As a society, we have for generations recognized that young people do not have the emotional and intellectual maturity or capacity to fully understand the long-term consequences of their actions. That is why we don’t allow children to decide whether they get to drink alcohol or use tobacco before they are 21. We don’t allow minors to consent to legal contracts, vote, join the military, get tattoos or have sex.  

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Why would we ever allow minors to undergo genital mutilations and double mastectomies? No child should ever be put in the position of making a permanent, life-altering decision to disfigure their body in this way. They can’t possibly understand the future reality of what that means. Least of all, a child under distress because they’re experiencing gender confusion.

And let’s be clear: these treatments and surgeries are cosmetic. No procedure or drug can change a human being’s sex, the structure of their chromosomes or their DNA. It is surgical mutilation for the purpose of altering the appearance of a child and it qualifies as nothing less than abuse.

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Why I believe there’s a compelling reason to act

Strong evidence suggests suicidal ideation and mental health issues are elevated among people who have had gender changing cosmetic surgery.

A 2011 study that examined 30-year outcomes revealed “ten to 15 years after surgical reassignment, the suicide rate of those who had undergone sex-reassignment surgery rose to 20 times that of comparable peers.”  (The Heritage Foundation)

Other evidence cited from at least 10 studies indicates of more than 80% of children who meet the criteria will outgrow gender dysphoria and embrace their biological sex.  (National Library of Medicine)

I am committed to stopping this outrageous trend in Tennessee. Should I be fortunate enough to be reelected this Nov. 8, I will partner with Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and Matt Walsh as well as medical professionals to introduce legislation banning these barbaric procedures from being performed on minors.

Tennessee has a compelling interest in protecting the health and safety of all citizens, especially our youngest who are most at-risk.

William Lamberth is the House Majority Leader for the 112th General Assembly. Lamberth, a Republican, lives in Portland and represents Tennessee House District 44, which includes part of Sumner County.