Prop 1 Could Take Away Parental Rights

Dear Editor,

In the Prop 1 amendment, also knows as the “Equal Rights” amendment, other new protected classes of people are: 

• Ethnicity and national origin. This could be interpreted as non-citizens who are in our country illegally. As a protected class, they could qualify for the same social benefits as a citizen, paid for by the taxpayer. If they are not allowed to vote, are you discriminating against them? How would a court rule? In New York City, would they be covered under the NYC Right To Shelter law of 1979. Would they legally be allowed to hold government jobs and jobs in law enforcement?

• Age. Normally we think of age discrimination as related to the elderly. Under this vague verbiage, a minor of any age can be considered a protected class. It could allow a minor to get medical treatments, including gender transition drugs, without a parent’s consent. If a minor is sexually abused, she can go to the doctor for treatment or maybe an abortion without her parent’s knowledge.

• Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. This could legalize the ability for boys to compete in girls sports, use their locker rooms and possibly take away their scholarship opportunities. 

If we think these are just anti-ERA conspiracy theories, the bills listed below have been proposed in the state legislature:

• Assembly Bill A6761 section 2.5 filed May 8, 2023 will have the following change to Public Health Law: A child who may give effective consent to medical, dental, health, and hospital services pursuant to this section may give such consent to their own immunization, and the consent of no other person shall be necessary.

• Senate Bill S762A 2023 contains the following text: This section also provides that a licensed physician or hospital staff physician may provide health care related to the prevention of a sexually transmitted disease, including administering vaccines, to a person under age eighteen without the consent or knowledge of his or her parents or guardians provided such person has capacity to consent to the care, without regard to the person’s age, and the person consents.

• Assembly bill A4604 contains the following text. There is no Op-Out prevision. Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 804-e to read as follows: § 804-E. Comprehensive sexuality education. 1. Each public or charter school shell ensure all pupils receive, as an integral part of education in grades Kindergarten through twelve, comprehensive sexuality education.

-Howard Hellwinkel

North Salem