Texas Governor Calls For Investigation Into Gender-Affirming Care in Transgender Minors

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has raised flags among the transgender community and their families. The governor is calling for investigation into gender-affirming care as “child abuse” and asking citizens and medical professionals to report parents of transgender kids if its appears the minors are receiving gender-affirming medical care. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines gender affirmation as a change or changes to a person’s life in accordance with their gender identity; it can be a change of name and pronouns, clothing, hormone replacement therapy, or surgical intervention.

On February 18, Attorney General Ken Paxton released a formal attorney general opinion, concluding that performing certain “sex-change” procedures on children and prescribing puberty-blockers to them is “child abuse” under Texas law. 

“There is no doubt that these procedures are ‘abuse’ under Texas law, and thus must be halted,” Paxton says in a press release. “The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has a responsibility to act accordingly. I’ll do everything I can to protect against those who take advantage of and harm young Texans.”

On February 22, Abbott pointed to Paxton’s opinion in a letter claiming that gender-affirming care for minors can legally constitute child abuse under the law of Texas. In his letter, he calls upon the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to further investigate.

“Because the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is responsible for protecting children from abuse, I hereby direct your agency to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any reported instances of these abusive procedures in the State of Texas,” Abbott says in a letter. 

Following Abbott’s request to the DFPS, The White House condemned the decision. The White House responded to the letter the governor released with a statement to ABC News:

“The Texas Attorney General’s attack on loving parents who seek medical care for their transgender children is dangerous to the health of kids in Texas and part of (a) much larger trend of conservative officials cynically attacking LGBTQI+ youth to score political points,” a White House spokesperson tells ABC News. 

“Conservative officials in Texas and other states across the country should stop inserting themselves into healthcare decisions that create needless tension between pediatricians and their patients. And no parent should face the agony of a politician standing in the way of accessing life-saving care for their child,” the statement continues.

Photo courtesy of Greg Abbott on Facebook