Danger of Gender Identity Politics

Floor Speech

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Mr. HARRIS. Madam Speaker, this bill, the Equality Act, is nothing more than an identity politic sellout, a thinly veiled attempt to attack and coerce individuals who hold serious and legitimate concerns or objections to things like parental rights to make healthcare decisions for their children; the ability of women to compete on an equal athletic playing field; and even medical procedures like sterilization and abortion.

I am a physician and I have been practicing medicine for over 35 years. This bill, if enacted, would mandate that healthcare practitioners and even facilities like Catholic hospitals would be forced to provide and participate in procedures like abortion, which ends a human life.

We should all be able to agree that a Catholic hospital should never be compelled by the government to offer procedures like abortion that they morally object to in the strongest possible terms.

Furthermore, if society continues to support politically correct gender identity politics, the science is becoming clearer that gender dysphoria, especially in children, is a psychiatric condition that in most cases will resolve itself with time.

Instead, however, this bill would require parents to allow irreversible medical interventions for their children, children who may even be prepubescent, resulting in sterilization, and oftentimes later regret.

Scientific data confirms that many who undergo gender transition continue to deal with serious depression, even after full transition. And the poorly named ``Equality Act'' would mandate that medical professionals accept and support the desire of their patients to undergo these invasive procedures, even if they have professional or conscience objections.

Madam Speaker, in response, I will be reintroducing the Conscience Protection Act this week. My bill will protect healthcare providers from being required to perform abortions or sterilizations and allow them to continue practicing medicine without duress or coercion from their employer or perhaps even their patients.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor my bill, and I oppose the so-called Equality Act on the floor this week.

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