RESTORING PARENT'S RIGHTS

By Sam Entile

In 2021, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker repealed parental notification for minors receiving abortion. Similar efforts have been ongoing with regard to so-called “gender modification” procedures.

The Parents Matter Coalition was formed in 2023 and seeks to protect the rights of parents in the health care decisions of their children.

The coalition is currently in the process of gathering petition signatures for a ballot initiative to appear on the 2024 ballot later this year. The intent is to preserve the basic rights of a parent to oversee their children’s health care.

The ballot initiative includes language for a proposed Yes/No question to appear on the 2024 ballot reading:

Shall the written consent from a minor’s parent or guardian be required before any entity, person, clinic or school can provide a minor (under the age of 18 years) any nonemergency medical procedure, medication, pharmaceutical, or any gender modification procedure, gender identification counseling or gender therapy?

A nonemergency medical procedure would include abortion. When the governor repealed parental notification in 2019, critics came to the defense not only of parents, but of girls now at greater risk of medical harm and predation by sex traffickers.

“Today’s bill signing by the governor strips parents of their basic right to know what is happening in their minor daughter’s life,” state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, said in a statement. “Even more concerning, removing this common sense protection will increase the likelihood of sexual abuse, exploitation and allow the trafficking of minor girls to continue unchecked.”

Corporate and social media also shield young people from the harms of abortion, that include increased risk of breast cancer, PTSD, and suicide among other adverse risks. The abortion pill has a complication risk of four times more than surgical abortion. Parents are also in a position to know potential risks specific to their daughters relevant to an abortion, such as the child’s Rh Factor—certain Rh Factors can conflict with the blood of a fetus which could cause long term damage unless treatment is sought prior.

Media has also censored many of the harms and facts about “gender modification.” These include significantly higher risk of suicide and inpatient psychiatric care even after “transition,” contrary to cultural myths.

HOW CAN I HELP

There are several ways to help get the Parents Matter Coalition get the parents’ rights question on the 2024 ballot.

· Sign the petition – this can be done by downloading a petition and following the instructionsand having it notarized. You can also visit one of the regular locations to sign the petition: Illinois Freedom Alliance in Moline and Rescue Our Children Organization in Streamwood.

· Get others to signthe petition. Follow the instructions on the website.

· Donateto help get the word out.

· Volunteer at various petition drives to help obtain signatures.