Cassandra Sanchez and Lissa Mascio from the NH Office of the Child Advocate testified in opposition to HB10, a parental bill of rights, in the Senate Education Committee on April 1. They said some things I am seriously troubled by that I’m afraid weren’t noticed by the senators on the committee.
Here is an excerpt of an exchange between Sen. Debra Altschiller and Cassandra Sanchez at the HB10 hearing.
Sen. Debra Altschiller:
If that overriding theme is this parent, in exercising their liberty interests in raising and caring for their minor children, reject their own children because their children are a member of the LGBTQ community, that child’s now in danger because of who they are. And the people that are related to them have more rights, if I’m reading this correctly, have continued rights over the decision-making of their lives that could be counterproductive towards the growth of that child. Does this bill set up a dangerous situation for children who are part of the LGBTQ community?
Cassandra Sanchez:
I do believe so, yes, and for the reasons that you pointed out, particularly, and the fact that there are no further safeguards for that in the bill, the way it is currently written and amended.
Sen. Altschiller:
Are there supports that are offered to families that help them understand and then move through understandance to acceptance of who their child actually is?
Cassandra Sanchez:
Yes, that is the role of a DCYF worker is to assess the family, is to identify appropriate services in the community, such as therapy, family therapy work that can be done that supports the identity of the child, while also educating the parent on how to best support the emotional growth of their child. And so the whole intention of that reunification work is to allow those appropriate services, and in this instance, particularly a family therapy, to do this work with the family, and that family therapist to report back to the division about the progress that the parents are making to be more understanding and accepting of their child, and whether that therapist feels that the family is in a place where that child can safely reunify and continue to be supported in the manner in which they deserve to for their identity.
When Sen. Altschiller and Ms. Sanchez refer to kids who are members of the LGBTQ community and getting parents to accept the identity of their child, they are talking about coercing parents into accepting that their daughter is really their son or their son is really their daughter.
When they say the child is in danger if they don’t, they are perpetuating the myth that a trans-identified child will self-harm if they aren’t affirmed in their gender confusion. They are suggesting that a child who isn’t affirmed should not be returned to the parents until the parents agree to affirm the child, because of the danger of self-harm. They ignore the serious harm to a child of gender transition. This is evil.
Last year, Cassandra Sanchez lobbied against bills that would protect women and children from the serious harms of the transgender cult.
At a press conference Tuesday morning in Concord, Sanchez joined other opponents to speak against legislation that would ban transgender girls from playing in girls’ sports, require public school teachers and staff to reveal a child’s gender identity or sexual orientation if asked, and allow businesses to designate bathrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex.
At the press conference, Sanchez said:
We do worry that outing children to their parents when they are not ready and they are still exploring their identity can create a very tense and harmful situation in their home environments.
Cassandara Sanchez should not have any responsibility for children.
Attend the Senate Budget Hearing on Tuesday and ask the senators to concur with the House and defund the Office of the Child Advocate.
What: Senate Budget Hearing
Date: Tuesday, May 6th, 2025
Time: 1:00 pm and continuing until all speakers have been heard.
Location: New Hampshire State House, Reps Hall (107 N. Main St, Concord)
Can’t testify in person? You can still speak out. Contact your Senator by phone or email. Find their info here: Who’s My New Hampshire State Senator?
Watch Cassandra Sanchez and Lissa Mascio’s testimony on HB10 below.
