Kaiser Permanente’s Ban on Youth Gender Surgeries Is a Wake-Up Call

OPINION | Suzanne Gallagher PORTLAND, OR — On August 29, Kaiser Permanente will officially stop performing gender-affirming surgeries on patients under the age of 19. The move makes Kaiser the first healthcare provider in Oregon to halt these controversial procedures — and it couldn’t come soon enough. For years, critics of youth medical transition have been vilified — labeled transphobic or accused of cruelty for raising legitimate concerns. But Kaiser’s decision marks a critical shift in the debate. It’s a sign that the tide is turning — and that parents, doctors, and educators must reevaluate the ideology driving gender-related policies for minors. This decision is more than a medical judgment. It’s a moral stand against the reckless experimentation on vulnerable children.   Medical Risks Are Clear We don’t let minors get tattoos, buy alcohol, or even drive unsupervised until they’re ready to make adult decisions. So why have we allowed them — often with encouragement from school staff and therapists — to undergo permanent medical interventions? Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones interrupt natural development and carry serious long-term risks, including infertility, bone loss, stunted growth, and sexual dysfunction. Surgeries, such as double mastectomies and genital reconstruction, are irreversible. And when regret sets in — which is increasingly common among detransitioners — the psychological pain is devastating. In fact, a 2021 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that individuals who medically transitioned and later detransitioned had a 19-times higher rate of suicide attempts than the general population. Instead of solving distress, these treatments often deepen it. Kaiser’s policy change reflects growing global concern. Countries like Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the United Kingdom have all scaled back or halted youth gender transitions after independent reviews found insufficient evidence of long-term benefit — and substantial risk of harm.   Schools Are Not Off the Hook This announcement should also serve as a wake-up call for our public school system. Over the past decade, K–12 schools have increasingly adopted radical gender ideology under the guise of inclusivity. Children as young as five are being told they may have been born in the “wrong body.” Middle school students are encouraged to change their names and pronouns. Counselors are trained to keep these changes hidden from parents — effectively severing the trust between schools and families. If Kaiser Permanente — one of the most progressive healthcare systems in the country — is now saying we don’t know enough to proceed, then why are schools acting like the science is settled? Educators and administrators should take this as a cue to reverse course. That includes removing gender identity instruction from elementary and middle school classrooms, prohibiting staff from keeping secrets from parents, and adopting opt-in policies for any content related to sex, gender, or mental health counseling.   A Win for Parents’ Rights — and Common Sense Kaiser’s move affirms what parents have been saying for years: let kids grow up. Identity confusion in adolescence is not a medical emergency — it’s a psychological and developmental challenge that deserves thoughtful, long-term support. Affirmation-only approaches in medicine and education have failed. They’ve left a trail of regret, sterility, and broken trust. It's time to return to evidence-based care and transparent family involvement. Parents are not the enemy. They are — and always have been — the first and most important line of protection for children.   Where Do We Go From Here? Kaiser made the right call. Now it’s time for other healthcare systems, school boards, and state policymakers to do the same.

• End secret social transitions in schools.
• Require parental consent for identity-related counseling.
• Remove gender ideology from K–12 curriculum.
• Restore the parent-child relationship as the foundation of education and care.

Kaiser took the first step. Now the rest of Oregon — and the nation — must follow.     Suzanne Gallagher is Executive Director of Parents’ Rights In Education, a national organization advocating for transparency, parental involvement, and common sense in America’s public schools.

NEWSLETTER

🚨 Kaiser Permanente Halts Youth Sex-Change Treatments Why This Game-Changing Decision Matters to Parents Everywhere By Suzanne Gallagher Executive Director, Parents' Rights In Education   PORTLAND, OR — Beginning August 29, Kaiser Permanente will no longer provide gender-affirming surgeries to patients under 19, making it the first healthcare provider in Oregon to announce such a shift. This is a major course correction — not only in medical policy but in the national conversation around how we treat children struggling with gender confusion. And it sends a clear message: It’s time to hit pause on risky, irreversible treatments. It’s time to put children first.   What Kaiser’s Decision Says Loud and Clear For years, questioning “gender-affirming care” for minors was taboo. Parents who objected were sidelined. Doctors were silenced. Schools were told to “affirm” — not investigate. But now even medical systems like Kaiser are admitting: ➡️ The science doesn’t support it. ➡️ The risks are too high. ➡️ The harm is real — and lasting. This mirrors what other countries — like the UK, Sweden, and Finland — have already recognized: experimental treatment for gender-confused youth has gone too far, too fast.   Let’s Talk About the Damage We don’t let 15-year-olds get tattoos or buy alcohol for a reason — their brains aren’t ready. Yet, with the encouragement of some schools and therapists, minors are being fast-tracked into:

• Hormone blockers
• Cross-sex hormones
• Double mastectomies and genital surgeries

Often without their parents even knowing. The result? Permanent infertility, loss of sexual function, stunted growth, and deep regret. And regret doesn’t just hurt — it kills. A 2021 Journal of Sexual Medicine study found that those who transition and later detransition are 19 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. That’s not health care. That’s failure.   Why This Matters for Schools, Too Kaiser’s decision should send shockwaves into every public school in Oregon — and the country. For years, gender ideology has quietly crept into K–12 classrooms: 👦 Kindergartners told they might be born in the wrong body 🎒 Middle schoolers encouraged to change pronouns 📋 Counselors instructed to hide transitions from parents If the medical system now says we need to stop and reevaluate, schools must stop pushing identity confusion as settled truth.   Parents’ Rights Are Non-Negotiable Kaiser’s reversal adds new weight to what we've been demanding:

• ❌ No more gender identity lessons in K–12
• ✅ Full parental notification and consent
• ✅ OPT-IN for sensitive topics
• ✅ No more secrets from parents

This is not just a healthcare debate. It’s about the fundamental rights of parents to protect their children — body, mind, and spirit. 🧠 My Take: Parents Were Right All Along We’ve said it from the beginning:

• Let kids grow up.
• Stop experimenting on minors.
• Get ideology out of our schools and clinics.

Now, even major medical institutions are admitting it. Kaiser got this one right. But it's only the beginning.  

📣 What You Can Do Next Parents — now is the time to act. ✅ Attend your next school board meeting ✅ Demand transparency in counseling policies ✅ Ask your district to adopt an OPT-IN policy ✅ Share this with five other parents ✅ Stay informed at: www.ParentsRightsInEducation.com Stop Messing With Our Kids. It Ends Here. — Suzanne Gallagher Executive Director, Parents’ Rights In Education