In Troxel v. Granville, a plurality of the Supreme Court described parental rights as “perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests” and identified the law’s traditional presumption that the “natural bonds of affection lead parents to act in the best interests of their children.”
New gender identity policies in a wide variety of settings (public schools, counseling, custody, foster care, adoption, and health care) may challenge that traditional presumption. State and federal policies promote psycho-social, hormonal, and surgical procedures to treat children who experience discomfort with their biological sex. Government entities sometimes carry out these policies without parental notification or consent.
