ADF to 10th Circuit: OK law protects children from harmful, unnecessary medical intervention

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch regarding a friend-of-the-court brief ADF attorneys filed Monday at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Poe v. Drummond that asks the court to uphold an Oklahoma law that protects children from risky and unproven drug interventions:

“Oklahoma is right to protect children from risky drug interventions that may permanently harm them without any proven long-term benefit. Children suffering discomfort with their sex are best served by compassionate counseling. Many who have received such counseling alone have recovered from their gender dysphoria and grown comfortable with their sex. Conversely, those who have taken unproven drugs are more likely to persist in their confusion and face higher risks of depression, sexual dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, stroke, breast cancer, liver disease, and more. Even the far-from-impartial World Professional Association for Transgender Health has admitted that the overwhelming majority of children will naturally resolve their gender dysphoria as they mature. That’s why the countries that have been the leaders in so-called ‘gender affirming care’—such as Sweden, England, Denmark, and Finland—are reversing course and now curtailing the use of dangerous ‘gender transition’ procedures and protecting children from the bad science that has devastated countless lives. The ACLU and other political activists are advocating a radical ideology that turns children into lifelong patients. We urge the 10th Circuit to uphold Oklahoma’s law and allow children to receive the help they need—safely.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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