Definitions:
Definitions"Genital autonomy":
"Genital autonomy" - the right to decide what happens to one's genitals, even to the point of irreversibly altering them.
"Sexual autonomy" -
"Sexual autonomy": the right to decide to enter into sexual relationships with other people.
In many countries, informed patient consent for gender-affirming medical treatments (for the purpose of this question, these are pharmacological and surgical treatments) can be given by patients over the age of 18 (e.g. Portugal, Austria, Italy, US), over the age of 16 (Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Malta), or corresponding to the general rules for medical informed consent based on invasiveness/long-term effects of the procedure and a patient's mental maturity on a case-by-case basis (UK, Spain, France, Germany, etc., EU source here). For younger patients, parental consent is required.
This
This seems to be a generally reasonable spectrum, overall in line with the respective societal norms, in terms of the autonomy granted to children and adolescents. So far so unproblematic.
Suppose Bob wants to argue that gender-affirming treatments should be available even earlier, at the request of the child in question.
For now, let'sLet’s consider the extreme position of supporting genital-altering surgery for pre-pubescent children. Can Bob reasonably hold this view without simultaneously holding the view that pre-pubescent children can in fact validly consent to sexual acts with adults?
Consider:Can Bob reasonably hold this view without simultaneously holding the view that pre-pubescent children can validly consent to sexual acts with adults?
Premise 1: A pre-pubescent minor can give valid consent to have genital-altering surgery.
Premise
Premise 2: Actions with more severe consequences, especially when irreversible, require a higher capacity to consent to than actions with less severe consequences, in order for that consent to be valid.
Premise
Premise 3: The consequences of genital-altering surgery are more severe than the consequences of nonviolent sexual intercourse with an adult.
Conclusion 1: A pre-pubescentprepubescent minor has a higher capacity to consent to nonviolent sexual intercourse with an adult than is required for that consent to be valid.
It
It follows that a pre-pubescent minor can validly consent to sexual acts with an adult.
Premise 1 is taken as true for the sake of argument.
Premise
Premise 2 seems inarguable,inarguable; it certainly forms the basis for most modern applications of informed consent in medicine, law, and interpersonal contact.
Premise
Premise 3 might be arguable as follows: