Republican Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti of Tennessee clashed with “CNN News Central” co-host Kate Bolduan Thursday over the state’s ban on child sex change procedures, saying the government had a right to act when presented with “significant evidence” the procedures caused “real harm.”
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in United States v. Skrmetti, a case centered on a challenge to Tennessee’s law prohibiting child sex change procedures. Bolduan questioned if the ban violated parental rights.
“What was not squarely at issue with this specific appeal before the justices right now is parental rights,” Bolduan said to Skrmetti. “Do you think parents should have the right to make medical decisions for their children?”
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“I think to some extent, parents should. I think parents have a huge role to play in their kids;’ lives, but the government also has a role to play to regulate the medical profession and if the evidence is showing significant harm with minimal benefit, the government does have a role in ensuring that kids are safe,” Skrmetti responded. “Now, this is a very contentious issue. The court did not take up the parental rights issue, and I think it would have substantially complicated the arguments because it’s a whole other very complex issue to address.”
Skrmetti also noted that there were questions about the efficacy of the treatments and said that some research has been “manipulated.” He also expressed doubts that parents had “accurate information” about the potential risks associated with the various drugs and procedures.
“But you know, there’s significant evidence of real harm. The research has been manipulated,” Skrmetti told Bolduan. “I don’t know that parents are getting accurate information necessarily about the risks involved and about the benefits and in situations like that, the government has a role to play to protect its citizens, especially its young citizens.”
One doctor involved in child sex change procedures admitted in October she suppressed a study that questioned the effectiveness of the treatments, saying she feared the results would be used to support restrictions on the procedures.
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