Geneva: A United Nations human rights expert and a young detransitioner have joined voices in calling on governments to uphold parental rights in the face of growing debates over gender-transition procedures for minors. The remarks came during a panel organized on the sidelines of the U.N. Human Rights Council, drawing support from several governments and civil society groups.
Reem Alsalem, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, told participants that parents and guardians must be central to decisions involving children facing gender distress. “Parents and legal guardians must be part of these processes from the very beginning,” she said. Too often, she argued, families who hesitate to adopt “gender-affirming” medical interventions are marginalized, punished, or even separated from their children. Alsalem described it as a “dangerous narrative” to suggest that minors are capable of making irreversible adult-level decisions about their health.
The event, titled “Empowering Parents to Protect Children’s Health and Well-Being,” was co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of Hungary to the U.N. in Geneva and ADF International, a faith-based legal advocacy group. It received sponsorship from a coalition of governments including The Gambia, Algeria, Argentina, Qatar, Vanuatu, and Uzbekistan, alongside NGOs such as Juristes pour l’Enfance, Asociación la Familia Importa, the Center for Fundamental Rights, Latter-day Saints Charities, and the Heritage Foundation.
Chloe Cole, a U.S.-based activist who underwent gender transition treatments as a teenager before later detransitioning, offered a deeply personal testimony. “I appeal to you: We must ensure these failures are never again repeated and that childhood is truly protected as the fragile and yet beautiful part of life that it is,” she said.
Cole described how her parents’ protective instincts were undermined by professionals who, she claimed, withheld crucial information. “My mom and dad have always advocated fiercely for my safety and health but were not empowered to fulfill their irreplaceable role as guardians of my well-being,” she told the panel. Instead, her parents faced a “false ultimatum” presented by doctors either approve medical interventions or risk losing their daughter to suicide.
Giorgio Mazzoli, Director of U.N. Advocacy at ADF International, reinforced the panel’s central message. “The family must not be viewed as a competitor to the state, nor parents as obstacles to children’s rights,” he said. “They are the children’s first and best guardians entrusted by nature and recognized by law.”
Mazzoli urged governments to enact policies that ensure parental involvement in matters relating to education, health care, and identity decisions, emphasizing that long-term child welfare requires partnership with families rather than state imposition.
The discussion in Geneva underscored the growing global divide over how to address gender dysphoria in children. While some human rights advocates promote gender-affirming medical care as essential to protecting vulnerable youth, others, like Alsalem and Cole, warn of long-term harms and the exclusion of parents from decision-making.
The panel concluded with calls for governments to strengthen legal protections for parents, foster transparent medical practices, and prioritize children’s long-term well-being over short-term interventions.