Alex Hernandez-Santiago

Recent comments posted by the Libertarian Party of San Francisco regarding age of consent laws have understandably raised serious concerns, both within our party and among the public. Let me be absolutely clear, the Libertarian Party rejects the opposition to age of consent laws and unequivocally supports the protection of minors from sexual exploitation and abuse. Any suggestion that our principles require otherwise is a fundamental misrepresentation of Libertarianism. Consent is foundational to Libertarianism. Without consent, there is no liberty. Our opposition to the initiation of force and fraud is rooted in a simple principle: every individual has the right to control their own body and their own choices. But meaningful consent requires more than the absence of physical force. It requires the capacity to understand what is being agreed to, the information necessary to make an informed decision, and the freedom to say no without coercion or manipulation. A person who lacks the capacity to meaningfully consent cannot simply be declared a willing participant. And minor children do not have the mental capacity for meaningful consent. Our national platform is explicit. Section 1.4, addressing personal relationships, states: "Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships." Adults. Consenting adults. Those words matter. Our platform also recognizes the rights of children to be free from abuse and neglect. Those protections are entirely consistent with our commitment to individual liberty. Children possess individual rights, and protecting those rights from exploitation and abuse is a responsibility we cannot abandon. Whether it is a drone strike on a school or hospital, powerful and politically connected predators being shielded from accountability, children trapped in failing government schools, or politicians and bureaucrats overriding the medical decisions of families and their healthcare providers, the Libertarian Party has consistently condemned the systemic harm inflicted on children by governments at all levels. A child harmed by a predator deserves justice. A child harmed by government deserves that same justice. The non-aggression principle is not a loophole for predators. It is a commitment to protecting people from them. I reject any suggestion that the Libertarian Party's principles require us to oppose the protection of minors from sexual exploitation. Such a position does not represent the national Libertarian Party or the principles expressed in our platform. I also recognize and respect the authority of the Libertarian Party of California to determine how best to address the statements and actions of its San Francisco county affiliate. I trust that its leadership will take these concerns seriously and address them through its established processes. The national party should respect that organizational authority while remaining unequivocal about our own principles. Liberty belongs to everyone, including those who cannot yet defend it for themselves. Our responsibility is to ensure that their rights are respected, and those who violate them are held accountable. In Liberty, Evan McMahon Chair - Libertarian National Committee

We reject the views of LPSF as irrational and repugnant. We call on all LPSF libertarians to stand for the protection of children and run these libertines out of the party. The SF account does not represent the philosophy or principles of the Libertarian Party in any way.

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