New York ballot initiative could allow kids to get sex changes without parental consent, say critics

New York Democrats and other radicals have advanced a ballot initiative that may ultimately pit the state's bill of rights against conservatives, religious residents, and others opposed to gender ideology and abortion.

The presently "vague" wording of the proposed New York Equal Protection of Law Amendment (ERA), championed by Planned Parenthood and various other leftist organizations, has some critics worried that there may be ruinous consequences besides the codification of abortion in the state constitution.

Just the News noted that some opponents have expressed concerns that the ERA might enable children to get sex changes without parental consent and altogether weaken laws that presently protect children.

The initiative

The ERA, introduced and ultimately passed by Democrats in both chambers of the state legislature over the course of the past two years, would alter Article 1, Section 11 of the New York Constitution, which presently states that no person shall be subjected to any discrimination in his or her civil rights by any other person, firm, corporation, institution, or by the state on the basis of race, color, creed, or religion.

This effort would add that New Yorkers — now to be conferred plural pronouns contra "his or her" — cannot be discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, "gender identity," "gender expression," pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy.

The supporters

The ERA has been championed by various leftists, LGBT organizations, and pro-abortion outfits.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), another supporter of the ERA, framed the initiative last year as a way of helping Democrats secure and hold onto power.

"Having a ballot initiative in our state is going to drive voter turnout overall, which will definitely help Democrats," Gillibrand told the New York Times. "The biggest reason we lost House seats was because of voter turnout."

New Yorkers for Equal Rights, the ballot initiative committee hyping the ERA, has indicated that this amendment would prevent future democratically elected officials from passing an abortion ban in the already pro-abortion state; cutting off abortion funding via Medicaid; and banning private insurance coverage of abortion.

The group made abundantly clear that this is a matter of preventing future voters from changing tack on the issue of abortion, citing former Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin's unexpectedly close gubernatorial race in 2022 as evidence of how "political winds shift."

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is apparently of a similar mind, having emphasized that laws can be repealed but there is "a much higher threshold to change the Constitution."

New Yorkers for Equal Rights suggested that besides precluding New Yorkers from changing their mind about having virtually unlimited abortion in the state, the ERA may also help "win back the right to abortion nationally."

The group also intimated that the amendments would hinder efforts to keep LGBT propaganda out of the classroom.

According to Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, "The ERA is an important step toward protecting reproductive rights and access in New York following the U.S. Supreme Court's wrongful decision to end the federal constitutional right to abortion, established by Roe v. Wade."

The opposition

The Coalition to Protect Kids has implored New Yorkers to vote "no" on the ERA on Nov. 5, noting that the state already has an equal rights amendment.

"This new wording might appear innocuous to the casual reader," the CPK states on its website. "But once we understand the real-life, legal ramifications of this poorly written one-size-fits-all amendment, you'll quickly understand just how absurd it is."

CPK suggested that the ERA could prove devastating for parental rights and weaken laws protecting minors from sexual abuse.

"If entities cannot 'discriminate' based on age and gender identity or expression, under the new amendment language, medical providers could be required to facilitate a child's request to make permanent, life-altering 'gender affirming' decisions and they would not need to consult with parents," wrote the CPK.

The number of children identifying as "transgender" has exploded in recent years. The vast majority of kids will outgrow this confusion. However, if parents can no longer serve as a check against the whims of their kids, which ideologues and profit-incentivized medical professionals otherwise play on, then the ERA may serve to greatly benefit the sex change regime.

CPK noted further that "laws that determine the legal age to purchase and/or consume alcohol or cannabis, determine elder abuse and statutory rape could all be weakened because they 'discriminate' based on age."

Spectrum News 1 reported that some Republicans have voiced concerns about how this may impact the rights of religious New Yorkers.

"Those of us who take our faith and our religion very seriously are very concerned about lawsuits against the church or against a certain faith or religion," said Republican Assemblyman Chris Tague.

"Unfortunately, like so many pieces of legislation, it goes too far," said state Sen. George Borrello (R). "It's very vague, it's very broad. In the end, my biggest concern is it will codify late-term abortions into the New York state constitution."

Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright appeared to confirm Borrello's suspicion when Democrats advanced the initiative in the legislature last year, stating, "We are closer than ever to enshrining a woman's right to choose and equality protections against discriminations in the most important governing document of our state."

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