Peggy Stabile’s Sept. 25 letter to the editor, “Avoiding Reality,” presents the false assumption that everyone believes that a child “coming out” is “beneficial to all.” I’m sure there are parents who overreact in finding out that their son or daughter desires to transition to the opposite gender. Nonetheless, to present school personnel as more concerned, more tolerant or compassionate of a child than a child’s parent underscores a deeply disturbing movement in our society that places institutional oversight above the oversight of the family.
Peggy can raise her family to embrace whatever gender-related issues she deems best, just as I can raise mine. But if a child goes to a teacher or counselor at a public school and confesses that his or her parents would not agree with their desire to live a same-sex life or consider gender transition, keeping that deeply physical, mental and emotional struggle from parents until they deem it appropriate is not and should never be the purview of school personnel who may not agree with the parent’s values. That’s institutional overreach to be sure.
Not every parent is going to disown or wish ill on their own child because they are struggling with their sexual orientation. The very fact that teachers and counselors are required to report if a student is considering self-harm or harm to others and yet somehow not see efforts leading to physical alteration and drug therapies as harmful, again decries institutional bias. Those numerous suicide attempts and completions mentioned, let alone the more current mass shootings by professed transgender assailants are real, and you can’t put them all on parents.
Peter Beers
Valencia
