While 98% of Australians are happy being women or men and the overwhelming majority of children and teenagers are happy with their birth sex Premier Andrew’s Socialist Left government wants to force all Victorians to conform to its radical, cultural-left agenda where the rights of transgender individuals reign supreme. 

Being transgender or trans, according to the Oxford Dictionary, describes a “person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond to that person’s sex at birth, or which does not otherwise conform to conventional notions of sex and gender”.  Based on a number of surveys the percentage of trans people in society ranges from 2 to 4 percent. 

According to the Andrews’ government children and teenagers who, for whatever reason, are confused and uncertain about their sexuality must have the freedom to take puberty blockers and undergo traumatic and irreversible surgery to radically change their physical appearance and anatomy. 

Even more extreme is the legislation introduced last week to the Victorian Parliament banning any attempt to question, advise against or criticise the medically and psychologically dangerous practice of trying to change what is a biological fact.  The Bill makes it illegal to “seek to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity”. 

Parents, if they make any attempt to advise, counsel or seek guidance because their daughter or son is experiencing uncertainty about whether they are a girl or a boy, will be convicted of a criminal offence facing imprisonment up to 10 years and a maximum fine of $10,000. 

Instead of parents being their children’s primary caregivers and having their rights as parents protected as they are by international covenants and agreements, much like in communist China and George Orwell’s totalitarian world of Big Brother the state intervenes and takes control. 

Organisations including schools, hospitals, churches, businesses, medical practitioners and psychologist are also open to fines or imprisonment for simply advising young people about the arguments for and against making such a life-changing decision as altering one’s sex. 

Religious organisations, churches and priests are especially targeted and at risk as a result of the transgender legislation.  Among the numerous practices legislated as illegal the Bill stipulates “carrying out a religious practice including, but not limited to, a prayer based practice, a deliverance practice or an exorcism”. 

If parents invite a priest or an Imam to their house and based on their religious teachings they question gender transitioning then all are liable to be convicted.   If the legislation is passed even writing this comment piece opens the author and those responsible for publishing it to imprisonment or a fine. 

Again, much Mao’s China, the Andrews’ government is imposing an extreme, totalitarian form of control where freedom of religion and the right to live according to one’s beliefs and conscience lead to victimisation and imprisonment.  Even those not responsible but who are aware of an incident defined as illegal and fail to report it are open to conviction. 

While nobody believes individuals suffering gender confusion, described as gender dysphoria, should be condemned or criticised the reality is that changing one’s gender denies one’s biological and genetic makeup as well as being morally wrong and dangerous. 

Even the father of transgenderism, the American psychologist John Money from the Johns Hopkins University, who pioneered transgender procedures like sex reassignment subsequently expressed concerns after one of his patients committed suicide. 

Such are the dangers and concerns surrounding trying to change one’s sex the American College of Pediatricians recommends “health professionals, educators and legislators to reject all policies that condition children to accept a life of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex as normal and healthful”. 

The radical feminist Camille Paglia, who describes herself as a “non-gendered entity”, is also opposed to transgenderism on the basis “the DNA code of every cell of the human body is inflexibly coded as male or female from birth to death”. 

Paglia goes on to argue such is the dominance and cultural-left group think pushing transgender ideology that it has “taken off like a freight train and has become nearly impossible to discuss with analytic neutrality that honest and ethical scholarship requires”. 

The Victorian government has earned the reputation as one of the most radical, far-left governments in the world.  Under Premier Andrews parliament has legislated to allow late-term abortion, euthanasia, the Safe Schools gender fluidity program and now immoral and draconian legislation to ban any attempt to question transgenderism. 

Instead of ensuring liberty and freedom and supporting the institutions that underpin our stable and peaceful way of life the Andrews’ government is intent on imposing a radical, utopian society where the State rules and its laws and dictates demand obedience.   

Dr Kevin Donnelly is a senior research fellow at the Australian Catholic University and author of How Political Correctness Is Still Destroying Australia (available at kevindonnelly.com.au.)