To the Editor:
Your recent opinion piece by John Merrow, which claims everyone who opposes “gender-affirming care” for minors is an intolerant, rightwing Nazi needs some feedback. It is a baloney argument. I mean, anyone who has standards and stands up for them and does not accept less can be considered as being “intolerant,” yes?
Example: If one is against child pornography or adult-child relationships, then one is “intolerant,” it appears. And that is a bad thing?
The real question is, Where does one draw the line on specific issues? Most everyone I know has learned to accept gay/lesbian/bisexual lifestyles, and transgenders as well. Not generally a problem, as these are consenting adults.
However, in contrast, “gender-affirming care” is directed at schoolchildren, and that crosses a line. To be honest, many of us with standards do not trust schools with this role, especially as there seems to be some who jump to advocate “gender reassignment” to children who are experiencing normal confusions for their age, and especially because it seems many schools seek to hide their actions from the childrens’ parents and keep it completely secret (see Washington State bill 5599, for example). This, and drag queen story hours, and pornography in school libraries, is unacceptable.
Call me intolerant, I don’t care. Your opinion piece is trying hard to label people as “intolerant” when they simply and reasonably disagree with the standards you want to push. That’s BS.
Allan Dutton
Oak Bluffs
