TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about suicide, which may be triggering to some.
Children these days are fortunate to have resources that weren’t readily available to their parents or previous generations. There’s the convenience of the internet, the increasing discussions on wellness and mental health, guardians who are actively trying to employ gentle parenting techniques, and in some areas there are even hotlines to help children anonymously deal with issues they might not want to share with their parents.
One mom was curious about one of these services and posed as a child to see what was said. She was not pleased with the results.
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The mom posed as a child discussing their gender identity.
Lori Gimelshteyn, a mother and parental rights advocate in Colorado, decided to pose as a 9-year-old questioning their gender. She texted a crisis line promoted in schools.
Gimelshteyn said she was sickened by what she found. “My first gut instinct is, 'oh my gosh, we have to protect these kids,'” she told Fox News.
Gimelshteyn, executive director of the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network, or CPAN, texted the hotline and said she was “just sad” and wanted to be a boy, according to screenshots shared by CPAN. “i think i am trans but don’t want anyone tonknow,” she wrote.
The specialist responded saying they could “help [the child] explore your gender identity on your own terms before discussing with others.”
The specialist then asked, unsolicited, if this child’s gender confusion has “brought up any thoughts of killing yourself?” The specialist ended the exchanged by vowing to keep the information confidential and sharing resources with the “child.”
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A representative for Crisis Services said the specialist responded appropriately.
The representative for the Colorado Crisis Services could not confirm whether the text messages were authentic, citing confidentiality. But one state official said the crisis line staff member handled the exchange properly.
“Sadly, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people,” said Marc Condojani, who works for Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration, which manages CCS, according to the New York Post. “We want to make sure that the young people know that they’re seen, that they’re valued, and that that help is available if they’re struggling.”
The hotline was created after the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, movie theater massacre.
Other parents in the Cherry Creek School District had shared their concerns about the hotline with Gimelshteyn. They took issue with language on the posters that read: “My family is great at pointing out my faults.”
Gimelshteyn said the posters “seem to be really fostering this negative impression of families and a parent’s role.”
State law requires that the crisis line number and website be printed on the back of every public school student’s identification card. The CCS was launched in response to the 2012 Aurora theater massacre and can be used by anyone in the area.
Condojani said it's hoped the hotline 'is used by people that really need it.'
One of Gimelshteyn’s main issues was that the responder promised to keep the child’s concerns a secret from her parents. “Why are you engaging with somebody, 9-year-olds, and telling them that you’re not going to tell their parent about it and then giving them resources to explore their gender identity?” she asked.
Condojani, a father of two, sympathizes with the parents’ concerns but encouraged them to learn more about the crisis line and take a more proactive role in their children's lives.
“Ask questions if you’re worried about them,” he said, according to the Post. “We hope that kids are comfortable talking to their parents … [but] if my kids for some reason didn’t feel safe talking to me about something, I’m really glad that Colorado Crisis Services is available so that they can talk to someone, a trained professional, that can offer support.”
He continued, “Colorado Crisis Line, whether you’re catfishing or for real, is gonna be there to respond to you. We hope it’s used by people that really need it, and that could be parents as well that might be struggling with parenthood.”
