by Anthony Gockowski
Celebrating their “undeniable force” at the Minnesota Capitol, members of the DFL’s “Queer Caucus” said they plan to pursue legislation next session to grant “everyone” a “fundamental right” to gender transition procedures.
This language appears to mirror that of the radical “Protect Reproductive Options Act,” which grants all Minnesotans a “fundamental right” to abortion and was criticized by Republicans for, among other concerns, its lack of clear age restrictions.
The “Gender Affirming Rights Act” states that “everyone has a fundamental right to make autonomous decisions about their gender and use of gender-affirming care,” according to a press release from the Queer Caucus. The legislation would also strip local governments of their ability to regulate “gender-affirming health care.”
“As the first Queer Caucus at the Minnesota Legislature, we were adamant on affirming the identities of our first ever Trans woman and non-binary legislators. We have a massive responsibility to our LGBTQIA2S+ communities and their families to ensure we make our state a place of refuge and protection against the rise of hateful legislation from extremist Republicans across the country. Throughout the session, we made it clear that we would not engage in any debates on our right to exist and live,” members of the Queer Caucus said in a joint statement.
The caucus also celebrated the repeal of Minnesota’s criminal penalties for knowingly spreading HIV/AIDS and $2 million in new funding for schools to build new gender-neutral bathrooms.
“Our resilience and tenacity for queer liberation are in large part thanks to the unwavering support of community leaders, advocates, and youth,” the Queer Caucus said.
Two other pillars of the Queer Caucus agenda were the Take Pride Act, which will force nonprofits serving minors to ignore sex distinctions in hiring practices, and the “Trans Refuge” bill, which seeks to protect children who travel to Minnesota for sex changes.
The caucus also revealed that it plans to pursue mandatory comprehensive sex ed in all Minnesota schools. Planned Parenthood is a leading advocate and provider of comprehensive sex ed programs, which can require instruction on “relationships involving diverse sexual orientations and gender identities” and teaches children that they “can have any kind of sex anywhere, anytime, with anybody, at any age, and it’s perfectly normal,” critics argue.
“We are committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans. We will continue to work together and in solidarity with our allies to protect all Minnesotans, so they can live openly without discrimination and embrace their human rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association,” the Queer Caucus said.
– – –
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and reported for The Daily Caller.
Photo “People Holding Up Pride Flags” by William Fonteneau.
