NY’s ‘Equal Rights Amendment’ aims to abolish the right to parent our kids

My fellow New Yorkers and I are poised to answer a profound question on Election Day: Do parents have the right to make decisions for our children, or do politicians in Albany get to control our kids?

Shockingly, most New Yorkers don’t even know this question is on the November ballot.

But that’s the reality of Proposition One — the so-called “Equal Rights Amendment.”

Activists and politicians are loudly saying that this constitutional amendment is key to protecting abortion, but that’s not true: The amendment doesn’t mention abortion at all.

Abortion is also already guaranteed by state law, and there’s zero chance that our elected leaders in Albany will roll back abortion rights anytime soon. New York is easily one of the most pro-abortion states in the country.

So why are activists making the Equal Rights Amendment about abortion? Because they think New Yorkers would be far less likely to support the amendment if the activists talked about the real stakes.

Namely, the threat to parental rights, including our right to protect our children from radical transgender ideology.

I say this as the father of a young teenage son. Like most kids these days, he’s been exposed to transgender ideology at school.

He’s shown no inclination to go down the dark road of trying to change his gender — but if he did, I’d immediately intervene, which is my right and my duty as his father.

I’d stop him from getting pumped full of dangerous chemicals, like puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. I’d also block any attempt to mutilate his body with genital surgeries.

Instead, I’d get him real mental-health care to help him understand who he really is.

That’s the caring and science-based road, because at least 80% of kids who say they’re transgender ultimately decide they aren’t.

But if kids get hormone treatments and surgeries, they can’t really go back. Puberty-blockers and cross-sex hormones often have permanent side effects — everything from weight gain to blood clots to sexual dysfunction.

The same goes for sex-change surgeries, which can obviously ruin your sexual organs, leave major scars and lead to recurring infections, as people who’ve tried to de-transition have attested.

They often say that when they look in the mirror, they don’t recognize themselves anymore. The drugs and the surgeries have changed them into someone they know they aren’t.

I’d never let my son destroy his future happiness.

But if the so-called Equal Rights Amendment passes, my right to protect my son would no longer be secure.

What the activists and politicians don’t say is that the ballot measure would change the state Constitution to bar discrimination on “gender identity” and “gender expression” — as well as on “age.”

That language would empower the Legislature and governor to sign laws that would force me to help my son change genders — or else.

Even thinking about this is terrifying. The state could declare that if I don’t let my son get hormone treatments, authorities could take him away from me.

Why? Because I’d be “discriminating” against him. Ditto if I try to stop him from castrating himself.

I could even lose my son if I tried to stop a school from using female pronouns to refer to him.

In other words, if I tried to parent my son, I could lose my ability to be a parent at all. I can’t think of a more extreme assault on parental rights, to say nothing of children’s health and well-being.

Does anyone seriously doubt that New York’s leaders will go down this radical road?

The state already lets teenagers attempt to transition without telling their parents. The Legislature is also considering a bill that would let teens make transgender medical decisions without their parents’ knowledge.

Clearly, our political elites are already in thrall to transgender ideology. They’re also increasingly willing to punish people who don’t share their views. They continually stoop to new lows of vindictiveness.

Why would they stop at taking away parents’ rights to protect our own kids?

I hope New Yorkers will keep that in mind as they consider their vote on Prop One. The ballot may say we’re voting on the “Equal Rights Amendment,” but in fact, we’re voting on the “Parent Replacement Act.”

Kelly Eustis is director of member engagement at Do No Harm. He lives in Greenwich, NY.