A Minnesota mother is suing her 17-year-old transgender daughter for beginning her gender transition without her parental consent.
In addition to suing her daughter, mother Anmarie Calgaro is also launching claims against the health care professionals involved.
According to Calgaro, her parental rights were violated when the gender re-assignment went ahead withour her permission, the Washington Post reports.
Calargo defended her decision in an emotional press conference and she even refused to acknowledge her child’s transition by continuously referring to her as her “son”.
“Not only was I robbed of the opportunity to help my son make good decisions, but I also feel he was robbed of a key advocate in his life, his mother,” Calgaro stated.
While the teenager did make efforts to become emancipated from her mother last year, nothing was ever legalised.
According to documents, Calgaro “made it known to him that she no longer wishe[d] to have any contact with him” and made no effort to have them return home.
The girl also claims her mother never filed a missing person report despite being absent from the family home for six months.
Calgaro told the media she was not against her child’s gender transition but wanted her to “slow down”.
Top Comments
Oh dear... how sad.
Where does she live? At age seventeen, even if you still live under your parents care, that may be old enough to make medical decisions without parental consent or involvement.
In NSW Australia, a person can see a doctor alone at age 14. As long as the doctor can reasonably determine that the 14 year old is fully capable of comprehending everything they are told (including benefits AND side effects of any recommended treatments), then they can recommend treatment, prescribe medication, all sorts of things.
Plus the confidentiality clause applies to that 14 year old if the parents go digging, as well.
There was a situation here a few years ago, some parents sued the doctors because their 14 year old went to the doctor and got vaccinated... the parents were anti-vaxxers, and furious about it!!
But they lost the case, because the 14 year old was deemed mature enough and perfectly capable of understanding what she was asking for (including understanding possible side effects), so there is nothing the parents can do to stop that, change that, or have the doctor punished under the law.
But I only know the lower age limit for where I live, NSW Australia.. as I said, I don't know where this girl lives or the laws for her country or state... but there would be plenty of places that allow 17 year olds to make medical decisions! That's almost a legal adult, and there are plenty of countries and states where 17 year olds are allowed to make plenty of decisions for themselves regarding many other things, same as a legal adult can!
Hopefully wherever she lives it is perfectly legal to make medical decisions at age 17 without parental consent or involvement.
Then the parents will lose the case, the girl will transition, and be happy as she deserves to be! :)
I can understand being deeply shocked by your child's decision to want to change gender, and I can even understand wanting to help the health professionals involved if she genuinely thinks that what they did broke the law. But there is absolutely no point whatsoever in suing your own child because you don't agree with their life choice, absolutely none, unless you want to somehow hurt or punish them.
Yes, I agree that parents are allowed to be surprised when their child comes out as gay or transgender. It might take time to understand and accept it.
But accepting it is the only real choice you have. It's absolutely fine to take time, but if you decide not to accept it, you're rejecting your own child.
How is that even an option? 😢