Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

Children aren't expected to make adult decisions until, well, they're adults. And a child's transition into adulthood comes with stages of responsibility. You've got to be 16 to get a driver’s license; 18 to get married; And 21 to own a handgun. But if you're in California, you only need to be 12 to decide your gender. This is because California just passed a law giving children in its care the right to “gender affirming health care.” It extends to foster-care children as young as 12. And the state will pay for it. We don't trust children to make life-altering decisions because they aren't mentally or emotionally capable of making such decisions. California may believe they've expanded a right, but in essence, they've placed power into the hands of minors that children aren't meant to bear.