Former President Donald Trump repeated his false claim that children undergo transition surgeries during the school day, fueling fears among conservatives that educators are pushing children to become transgender and facilitating transitions without parents’ knowledge.
“Imagine if you’re a parent and your son leaves the house and you say, ‘Jimmy, I love you so much, go have a good day at school,’ and your son comes back with brutal surgery. Can you imagine that? What is wrong with our country?” Trump said this at a campaign rally in the vital state of Wisconsin on Saturday.
The Republican presidential candidate made similar comments the previous weekend at an event organized by parent activist group Moms for Liberty — saying children were returning home from school after surgeries. gained great reputation in conservative politics in recent years.
When the group’s co-founder was asked how he would address the “explosion in the number of children identifying as transgender,” Trump replied: “Your child goes to school and comes home a few days later with surgery. The school decides what will happen to your child.”
There is no evidence that a school in the United States has ever had a student undergo sex-affirmation surgery, nor has there been any evidence that a US school has sent a student to receive such a procedure elsewhere.
Currently, about half of the states in the United States prohibit transition surgery for minors, and even in states where such care is still legal, is rare. In addition, guidelines from several major medical associations state that a parent or guardian must consent before a minor undergoes sex-affirming care, including transition surgery. According to the American Medical Association. The largest medical societies in the United States support for gender-affirming care for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. For those who prefer such care and have the support of their guardians and doctors, it usually includes puberty blockers for minors and hormone replacement therapy for older teens.
A spokeswoman for the former president’s campaign did not substantiate Trump’s claims, pointing to NBC News reports of parents in the dark about children transitioning at school.
“President Trump will ensure that all Americans are treated equally under the law, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation,” spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt said.
Kate King, president of the National School Nurses Association, said that even when it comes to administering over-the-counter medications like Advil or Tylenol, school nurses must get express permission from a doctor and parent.
“There’s no way anyone could be operating in a classroom in a school,” he said when asked about Trump’s remarks.
The former president’s claims stand out even amid years of claims by conservative politicians and right-wing media pundits against teachers, Democratic lawmakers and LGBTQ adults. “inspect” or “induce” children being gay or transgender.
The practice of labeling LGBTQ people, particularly gay men and trans women, as child “manipulators” and “pedophiles” has been sidelined for decades, but these tropes have resurfaced during Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say” debate. Gay law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in March 2022. The law restricts the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and is being replicated in states across the country.
At the Republican National Convention in July, at least a dozen speakers, including DeSantis and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. — stated gender identity or sexuality According to NBC News analysis, negative in their speeches. DeSantis, for example, claimed that Democrats wanted to “impose gender ideology” on kindergartens.
About 70% of public K-12 teachers who have taught for more than a year said that topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity “rarely or never” come up in the classroom. request From the Pew Research Center. Half of all teachers surveyed, including 62% of elementary teachers, said elementary students should not learn about gender identity in school.
Trump took the oath If re-elected in 2023, he said he would abolish sex-affirming care for minors, equating it with “child abuse” and “child sexual abuse”. This year, Trump also said he would repeal Title IX protections for transgender students on “day one” of a potential second presidential administration.
His campaign website says that if re-elected, he would cut federal funding for schools that “push gender ideology on our children” and “pull men out of women’s sports.”
More broadly, there is Trump promised to eliminate The Ministry of Education claims that this will give states more power over education.
During his first administration, Trump banned transgender people from serving in the military — which he has vowed to do again if re-elected — and rolled back several anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people.
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