Miami Dade schools say kids decide gender identities, not doctors or health professionals

New guidelines published by Miami Dade County Public Schools in Florida declare that students do not need a mental health advocate or a doctor’s approval to alter their gender identity. It’s simply up to the teen’s whims whether they will “be” male or female, and everyone must scramble and readjust their own reality to fit that of the gender-confused student.

“Only the student can determine their gender identity,” the guidelines say. “Outside confirmation from medical or mental health professionals, or documentation of legal changes, is not required.”

The published guidelines make other questionable statements, such as: “At birth, infants are assigned a sex, usually male or female, based solely on the appearance of their external anatomy.” This is simply wrong, and akin to saying they are assigned the species “human” because of their external anatomy. There is nothing “assigned” about it, and it is not a matter of opinion whether a child is male or female. It is simply what biology made them.

“When making such impactful policies, officials should remain student-centered and utilize all available resources; that should include medical and health professionals,” said Aimee Viana, a distinguished education fellow for Parents Defending Education, to The National Desk.

The guidance does not specify whether parental approval is required in students determining their gender identity, and further states transgender students have “the right to decide when, with whom, and to what extent to share private information.”

“When contacting the parent-guardian of a transgender or gender-expansive student, school staff should use the student’s legal name and the pronoun corresponding to the student’s assigned sex at birth unless the student or parent/guardian has specified otherwise,” the districts’ policy states.

“A school system at any level should really begin and end with the same focus in mind, which is supporting the whole needs of the student,” Viara reacted. “And how can we support students if we don’t engage their primary support, which is their family?”