Democrats intentionally and strategically creating a homeless youth crisis
Washington state has launched its “Teen Health Club” in collaboration with the Youth Advisory Council. This “hub” is primarily a place where teens can go to learn about “trans” services – from free chest binders and counseling all the way to taxpayer-funded surgeries and doctors who will provide them. The hub also provides information about sexual safety, including a “condom finder” and access to abortion services.
In the last couple years, Washington state legislature has advanced the “trans” agenda by legally categorizing so-called “gender affirming care” as protected health care. These services are now available to children without parental notification (prior to July 2023 parents could be notified but did not need to consent – now they cannot be notified if the child doesn’t want them to be).
Let’s take a look at the “hub”.
Most of the resources on the “hub” focus on LGBTQ care and issues. The site is also heavy on BLM, CRT -type content as well as “sexual education” content.
There are a number of sources for teens to find “gender-affirming” health care providers, all of whom are funded by Washington state taxpayers.
The Trevor Project is one of the largest and heavily-funded LGBTQ organizations. They are one of the leading organizations pushing LGBTQ content, or queer theory, into public schools and many other government entities.
Teens can also find a “free condom map” on the site.
Among the resources available to teens on the Teen Health Hub is a 119 page resource titled, “Where to Turn for Teens”, which is a resource for everything from free food to legal help. The resource includes resources for free housing as well. It’s necessary for teens who are truly facing homelessness to have the necessary resources readily available to them, however, Washington state lawmakers have shown us over the last few years, especially, that the goal is not to help homeless teens but to create homeless teens.
There’s even a resource for teens to find so-called gender affirming surgeries. Teens are referred to a state-funded Apple Care provider. The 12 month wait can be waived for double mastectomies, hysterectomies and orchiectomy.
In 2022 the legislature passed ESSB 5883, a “youth homeless bill”, which allows “homeless youth” to access healthcare services without parent knowledge or consent. Washington state Republicans put forward many amendments to this bad bill that would require providers to verify if the minor child was indeed homeless before providing services. State democrats refused every one of these amendments.
In 2023, the legislature passed ESSB 5599 which allows for minors (of no minimum age) seeking “protected healthcare services” (defined as abortion and “gender affirming care”) to be housed in homeless shelters or host homes without parental consent or notification. A child could go from school to a host home in order to receive “gender affirming” care and parents won’t even be told.
This week, Washington state representative McClintock has sponsored HB 2016 that would allow minors aged 16 to enter into a lease agreement for rental housing, stating “that adolescents are without stable housing due to familial conflicts, financial strain, or other unforeseen circumstances.”
One of the first questions here is: who is paying the rent for the 16 year old? Housing in Washington state is very expensive. Will there be state funded grants for these leases?
Washington state democrats are creating a “crisis” of youth homelessness. It is a systematic approach that begins in the public education system, where children are being indoctrinated with gender ideology/queer theory. They are taught that parents who do not agree are emotionally abusive and that they don’t have to live in their family homes. Many of these homeless shelters visit the schools, giving information to students. Many schools have SBHCs (school based health centers) on campus that give students information on services and housing options.
This is agenda is not specific to Washington. It’s already well underway in California, New York, Oregon and several other states. The left is actively working in red states to advance this agenda as well. The only way this is stopped and our children are protected is if “we the people” – the people who have busy lives, jobs, families, church, businesses to run – engage in our government process (as was the design of our Founding Fathers) and make our voices heard and stop these policies. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.
Get involved! Find information on your state legislature HERE
If you’re in Washington state, bookmark our Legislative Action Center to track our key legislation and look up bills by keyword.
We need YOUR help. Please consider a financial contribution (or upgrade to a paid subscription) to support the movement and help us cover the expenses of the tools we use to fight for you in Olympia and beyond!
