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What’s Happening at Riley Children’s Hospital

We are used to schools and the media promoting dangerous progressive ideology on gender and sexual orientation, but now a local hospital is doing the same.

Riley Children’s Hospital is experimenting on children with their gender reaffirming program. Instead of lovingly correcting and helping children who show signs of gender dysphoria, a mental disorder in which someone believes their body does not match their mind’s idea of their “gender identity,” the hospital is perpetuating children’s flawed views of themselves. Doctors are encouraging dissonance between one’s feelings and reality – God’s design – in children who are already struggling.

The hospital’s website states that they “will assist your child as they make a decision about whether to transition into a different gender and will offer care for each stage of transition.” Instead of helping the child, they are offering harmful treatments such as hormone therapy, gender reassignment surgery, and treatment for menstrual suppression.

This approach is reckless, and it contradicts God’s intention and design. Children experiencing confusion and distress need guidance and correction, not affirmation of their erroneous ideas.

In addition, the vast majority (85%) of children with gender dysphoria eventually overcome it and accept their God-given, biological sex. However, doctors at Riley’s Hospital want to prescribe harmful puberty-blocking drugs at the behest of children whose brains have not yet fully developed.

Many rational doctors have warned that these drugs can cause adverse health problems such as degenerative disc disease and fibromyalgia, and we don’t yet know the long-term effects of these treatments on children. Further, most children suffering from gender dysphoria are diagnosed with other psychiatric illnesses before they decide that they are transgender. Therefore, affirming their transgenderism does not treat the underlying health issues they are suffering from.

What these children need most is the truth. The presence of confusion and distress is not a sign that someone was born the wrong gender. It simply means we are human in a world that’s been broken by sin. God intentionally gave each of us our body and our sex, and He does not make mistakes.

We need Senate Bill 34. This legislation would prohibit health care workers from performing certain procedures on minors, including gender reaffirming treatments. It also prevents professionals from subjecting a young person to activities that attempt to reinforce or affirm their “gender identity” when that identity differs from their biological sex.

IFI needs your help in order to turn this crucial bill into law in Indiana. We want children to receive help, not harm.

Thank you for your continued support and generosity as we work to protect our children from dangerous ideologies.

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HB 1190 – Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses

Free speech is an essential component of the fabric of our nation. Without it, America cannot survive. Recently, college campuses have become notorious for limiting student’s speech, and we need further legislation to put an end to these rights violations.

Indiana Family Institute is supporting HB 1190 to protect free speech at educational institutions. The bill was authored by Rep. Jack Jordan in response to growing hostility toward free speech at schools, and especially on college campuses. The bill stipulates that schools may not set aside areas on campus where expressive activities are prohibited, deny student organizations of free speech, or discriminate against a student organization based on the group’s rules, such as, the president of a Christian club must be a practicing Christian. A Christian student group at Wayne State University, for example, filed a lawsuit after the college removed the organization’s official status because it “requires leaders to affirm their faith.” HB 1190 also requires that schools publish free speech policies, provide the governor with certain reports, and allow public access to certain reports via the school’s website.

The importance of this bill cannot be overstated. Over the last several years, there have been numerous unacceptable cases of free speech violations on college campuses around the country, and students’ rights are not adequately protected. Conservative groups and speakers are frequently discriminated against or even banned from campuses. While many lawsuits against these violations have been successful, we need stronger safeguards in place to ensure that our First Amendment right is respected on the front end.

Last year, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) published a report about the state of free expression at universities. Over 80% of students say they censor themselves at school. Two-thirds say yelling and hostility toward a speaker is acceptable, and almost one-fourth say the use of violence to stop a speaker is acceptable. Fewer than one-third of students believe their school’s administration makes its rules about free speech “very clear” or “extremely clear” to students. FIRE also found that over 65% of educational institutions restrict speech that is protected by the First Amendment. This data is incredibly alarming, and it demands a response.

The restriction of speech is the first sign of the dissolution of a free society. Free speech is the linchpin by which all other freedoms can survive.

Please contact your representatives and urge them to support HB 1190 to protect free speech in Indiana.

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January 21 is March for Life in D.C.

2022 could mark a critical turning point for the unborn. With the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization SCOTUS case underway, a major pro-life victory is in sight. We hope the case will overturn the horrendous mistake of Roe v. Wade and give power over abortion laws back to the states. Many of our justices gave us encouraging insight into their stances during the oral arguments, and we expect a favorable outcome. We are immensely hopeful for both a political and cultural shift this year so that our laws protect life at every stage and our society recognizes the dignity of the unborn.

To drive cultural change, we must band together and speak out with one voice, as many pro-lifers will do in a few weeks. Despite D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s vaccine mandate, the annual March for Life will take place as planned on January 21st, and organizers are expecting a tremendous turnout. The March for Life is a huge pro-life demonstration that attracts thousands of students, activists, and families from around the country every year.

“We expect this year’s March for Life to be historic, with even higher levels of enthusiasm from participants,” said March for Life President Jeanne Mancini. “With the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case before the Supreme Court, we are closer than ever to building the culture of life we have all marched for since Roe v. Wade was imposed on our nation nearly 50 years ago.”

When Roe is overturned, our work will be far from over. Many states have abortion ban trigger laws in place that will take effect after the 1973 SCOTUS decision is reversed. Twelve states will automatically be able to ban abortion during the first and second trimesters, saving thousands of lives in an instant. While Indiana does not currently have a trigger law in place, we will be able to increase protections once Roe is nullified. Currently, abortions are illegal in our state after 20 weeks. Our goal is to strengthen pro-life protections in Indiana.

We believe that the tragedy of abortion will be unthinkable in the near future, and we will continue to work diligently until it is.

Pro-lifers are more determined and enthusiastic than ever, and we are abundantly hopeful that the tide will soon turn and we will see the fruits of our labor.

Until then, keep fighting and keep praying. Please pray the God guides our Supreme Court justices and that the momentum of the pro-life movement continues to grow.

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Local elections matter.

The most difficult part of voting in any election isn’t registering to vote or getting to the polls.

The difficulty lies in knowing what a candidate will do once elected.

Candidates often provide vague and generic promises that make it difficult to know whether their election would benefit citizens or undermine their health, freedom, prosperity, and well-being.

While local races may seem inconsequential, we know that they are some of the most important decisions our communities can make. School board elections, for example, are just as important as state and national elections. It is the leaders of our schools and local communities that directly impact children and families the most. Across the country, we are seeing the consequences of electing poorly qualified, activist leaders who are intent on implementing their own selfish agenda rather than listening to parents. The best way to mitigate this issue is to pay close attention to the candidates in every local election.

Indiana school board candidates are not required to declare a party affiliation, meaning we must pay even closer attention to their policy choices. It can be difficult to find trustworthy information about candidates. Though neither major political party is perfect, requiring candidates to select a party platform to affiliate with will increase transparency and better inform local citizens about how they should cast their vote.

Many parents have lost trust in the public education system, including here in Indiana, especially after it was revealed that Critical Race Theory is in our schools. Parents need and deserve more information about how local leaders will govern before they cast their vote.

It’s clear that school board officials can be as partisan as any other elected official. It is essential that school board candidates declare a political party affiliation so Hoosier citizens have a clearer idea of what a candidate stands for.

For the sake of our children and their education, we must demand transparency and become more involved in local elections.

Thankfully there are a number of bills that would bring transparency to school board elections this session. So far we like House Bill 1042, authored by Rep. Jeff Thompson, the best.

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Amicus Brief SIGNED: Protecting Religious Liberty

Our exceptional country was founded on essential principles including religious liberty. The Founding Fathers explicitly declared religious freedom a God-given right, knowing it was necessary for the survival of the United States. Thankfully, Americans have continued to protect religious liberty against power-hungry government leaders through state and federal laws. However, many unelected administrative agencies have not respected the law and our right to religious freedom. Allowing these agencies too much power endangers religious liberty across the nation.

In order to address this issue, the Indiana Family Institute recently signed onto an amicus brief that was filed with the Supreme Court of the United States. The SCOTUS case at hand involves the federal government’s attempt to impose a nationwide vaccine mandate on many employees to be enforced by their own employers. The sweeping mandate also attempts to bypass Congress and typical agency rulemaking procedures. Arguments for this case will be heard this Friday, January 7.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a regulatory government agency, supports the mandate by pointing to a rarely used emergency provision that has never been used to impose a nationwide law such as this. OSHA has refused to address religious exercise questions and asked the courts to defer to its own interpretation of its authority. This undermines the rule-of-law, however, and allows unelected bureaucrats to make important policy decisions, instead of the elected representatives whose job it is to support the will of their constituents. Further, it undermines the constitutional authority of the judicial system to rule over such cases.

Agencies such as OSHA view religious freedom as an afterthought rather than an inalienable right. This is why we must promote the traditional legislative process and fight back when agencies are granted unwarranted power.

IFI is working hard to preserve religious liberty and to protect the future of Indiana from distant federal bureaucrats. We would be honored to receive your support which allows us to continue amplifying your voice and working to protect your liberties.

Thank you for your continued prayers. We are immensely hopeful for the success of this initiative and many more to come in 2022!

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