Mother of girl killed by trans ideology slams bill to seize kids from parents
The mother of a trans-identified daughter who died by suicide after she was taken from her family and placed in a home with adults who encouraged her transition has pleaded with California lawmakers to reject a bill that could remove children from their parents if they don't support transing their children.
Abigail Martinez testified before the California state Senate’s Judiciary Committee last week to speak out against Assembly Bill 957, which would take into account “a parent’s affirmation of the child’s [self-identified] gender identity as part of the health, safety, and welfare of the child” when determining “the best interest of a child” as it pertains to custody placement.
The bill passed the committee last week by a party-line vote of 8-2, in which all Democrats voted to advance it while all Republicans opposed it. AB 957 now awaits approval by the full state Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.
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Martinez recounted how her 16-year-old daughter, Yaeli, was “murdered by gender ideology” nearly three-and-a-half years ago.
“[Child Protective Services] took my daughter when she was 16 years old. It was helped by her public school counselor, an LGBTQ group RISE and another trans-identified girl,” she said. “My daughter was taken from her loving home because the state of California claimed I was abusive for not affirming her trans identity.”
Insisting that her daughter was “not a boy trapped in a girl’s body,” Martinez maintained that “she had mental health issues” and lamented that “against my consent, my daughter was given testosterone instead of therapy.”
“The LGBTQ group used her to raise money for them,” she said, expressing concern that “parents are given one option to treat their distressed child: affirm, drugs and remove their healthy body parts or else lose your child.”
As her voice broke, Martinez recalled how “the abuse claim against me was finally dropped, but it was too late, the damage was done. By then, my daughter was in horrible mental and physical pain. My daughter knelt down in front of a train.”
Reiterating that her daughter was “murdered by gender ideology,” Martinez emotionally pleaded with the Democrat-controlled state Legislature to “stop pushing gender ideology,” stressing, “I don’t want any parent to feel what I feel every day.” She asserted that “affirmation is not good for the health, safety and welfare of any child.”
Assembly Bill 957 has already been approved by the Democrat-controlled California Assembly in a 51-13 vote on March 30, where all votes in favor of passage came from Democrats and all votes against it came from Republicans.
California’s consideration of AB 957 comes as several states have enacted laws that ban some or all sex-change procedures on minors due to the long-term effects they have on physical and mental health. These states include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
The American College of Pediatricians has discussed the potential side effects of sex-change procedures on minors in detail. Potential long-term impacts of puberty blockers, often administered to youth suffering from gender dysphoria, include “osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, cognitive impairment and, when combined with cross-sex hormones, sterility.” Cross-sex hormones, which were prescribed to Martinez’s late daughter, can cause an “increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers across their lifespan.”
Other organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association and the American Psychiatric Association, have expressed support for so-called "gender-affirming care" for minors.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
