Days after Texas state officials declared gender-affirming medical care can constitute child abuse under state law, the family of a Texas child protection worker, a clinical psychologist, and civil rights groups have sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state.
In the lawsuit, which is backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Texas and Lambda Legal organization, plaintiffs are challenging the Republican governor’s order to investigate the use of gender-affirming procedures on children.
The complaint filed in a state district court comes after the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services begin investigating one of its employees, who is also the parent of a 16-year-old transgender girl.
Terrified for the girl’s health and for their wellbeing, the unnamed worker and their family are now trying to stop Texas from following through on Abbott’s orders which were supported by the conservative state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s legal opinion.
Paxton asserted in his Feb. 18 legal opinion that gender-affirming care for adolescents with gender dysphoria qualifies as child abuse although Texas lawmakers have so far failed to pass legislation to outlaw it.
According to the directive to DFPS Commissioner Jaime Masters sent Feb. 22, Abbott ordered the agency to investigate the use of gender-affirming procedures on children and demanded inquiries into parents and medical providers who violated the law.
Both Abbott’s order and Paxton’s opinion were strongly condemned by an array of organizations including the White House, the head of the American Psychological Association the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a group of Texas prosecutors.
The AAP cited in a statement in February studies that show that gender-affirming care can reduce emotional distress, improve their sense of well-being and reduce the risk of suicide for young people who identify as transgender.
Neither the state child protection agency nor Abbott’s spokesperson commented on the lawsuit.
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