SB 5599 Bypasses Parents

Current Washington state law enables allows minors 13 and older to obtain puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and mutilating surgeries without parental knowledge or consent, while minors 12 and younger require parents’ consent.

Under SB 5599, minors of any age who have been placed in a host home will be given consent by their “guardians” -instead of their parents – for these dangerous treatments. Even minors younger than 12 years old.

In 2022, The World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) removed age guidelines for gender treatments, but currently children as young as 8 have been put on puberty blockers and cross sex hormones and girls as young as 12, have received mastectomies.

SB 5599 Equates Not Using “Preferred Pronouns” To Child Abuse

SB 5599 makes seeking “gender affirming care”’ a compelling reason to keep a minor child’s location a secret from his or her parents. Not being sufficiently supportive of a child’s gender identity, including not using the child’s “preferred pronouns,” would be considered the same as abuse or neglect.

There is no requirement for due process. If a child merely expresses a belief that his or her parents won’t be supportive, that child can be placed in a host home, their location never disclosed to their parents. A state agency will be given authority to make referrals for “appropriate behavioral health services” and parents will be removed from the decision-making process for their own minor child.

Yes, SB 5599 Includes Gender Surgeries for Minors

SB 5599 allows a minor to have life-altering treatments and surgeries without the knowledge and consent of his or her parents. Gender confused minors will be housed in a location undisclosed to their parents and given access to binders and tuckers, as well as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.

The “gender affirming” surgeries SB 5599 makes available to minors are defined in RCW 74.09.675. These include “Facial feminization surgeries and facial gender affirming treatment, such as tracheal shaves, hair electrolysis, and other care such as mastectomies, breast reductions, breast implants, or any combination of gender affirming procedure…”