Transgender minors who want “gender-affirmation attention” are now “protected” from “alienated parents” under a new Washington state law, the Associated Press reported.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed the measure into law Tuesday, the AP noted.

What are the details?

The outlet said licensed shelters and foster homes that were required to notify parents within 72 hours of when minors come into their care can now contact the Department of Children, Youth and Families of the state, which could “attempt to reunify the family if possible.” “

Also, under the new law, the AP said, young people can stay in foster homes “without parental permission.” The outlet described the foster homes as “private, voluntary homes that temporarily house young people”.

Interestingly, the AP ran the following headline for its story: “Trans minors protected from parents by Washington law.”

As of Wednesday morning, the headline remained intact and the AP article did not appear to have been updated.

The headline didn’t escape the attention of conservative commentator Jason Rantz, who tweeted: “Absolutely disgraceful Associated Press headline and framing. Absolutely disgraceful lie. Surprised? It has nothing to do with this bill “.

NewsNation solutions reporter Zaid Jilani noted, “The Associated Press continues its transformation into Media Matters with this headline.”

What else?

Before signing the measure, Inslee said it signals that Washington state is “taking a more compassionate, developmentally appropriate and reasoned approach to supporting these young people as they access gender-affirming treatments and services of reproductive health care,” AP said.

More from the outlet:

Those who oppose gender-affirmation care worry about the long-term effects of the treatments on teenagers, argue that research is limited, and focus particularly on irreversible procedures such as genital surgery or mastectomies .

However, these operations are rarely performed on minors. Doctors often steer children toward therapy or voice training long before medical intervention. Puberty blockers, antiandrogens that block the effects of testosterone, and hormone treatments are much more common than surgery. They have been available in the US for more than a decade and are standard treatments supported by major physician organizations, including the American Medical Association.

The AP reported that Republican lawmakers in Washington state “have spent weeks criticizing the legislation,” which Inslee signed into law, noting that state Senate Republican Leader John Braun said in March which would create “a wedge between vulnerable children and their parents”.

The outlet also reported that people online have “twisted the content of the measure to suggest it will see the state ripping children from their homes.”

“But those claims misrepresented the legislation, which aims to keep estranged youth housed, according to experts and the lawmaker sponsoring the bill,” the AP reported. “The bill does not address custody and would not result in the state removing children from their homes and parents.”

More from the outlet:

Washington legislation requires the state Department of Children, Youth and Families to make a “good faith attempt” to notify parents after being contacted by shelters or foster homes and to provide services designed to “resolve the conflict and achieve family reunification,” according to the bill’s text. Family reunification efforts would be pursued whenever possible, according to Washington state Sen. Marko Liias, a Democrat who was the lead sponsor of the bill.

“The law will have a positive impact for young people across the state who need housing and stability at a really difficult time,” Liias told the AP.

Something else?

It’s an understatement to say that more than a few people are worried about what could happen because of the new law:

“Get your kids out of public schools NOW… I don’t care what your excuse is, but get them out of public schools,” declared one Twitter user. “I’m not even sure how this waste of time made it into a bill, but now families with confused teenagers may want to consider moving away from WA to avoid this potential risk from the new states power,” suggested another commentator “The laws will encourage children to run away from home,” another user predicted. . “Especially if the Democrats say it [it’s] true and parents are suppressing their own children’s sexual desires… lmao.” “This is a horrible attack on families and an evil attempt to separate children from their parents,” another commenter said.

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