Greg Abbott sent a letter to DFPS directing them to interpret gender-affirming care for trans children as child abuse.
Failure to report can result in imprisonment and a fine, according toSection 261.101 of the Texas Family Code.
Still, if this news has you worried, youre not alone.
The directive stokes fear among trans youth and their families.
It includes medical interventions like puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, and gender-affirming surgeries.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
trans activist, civil rights attorney, and clinical instructor at Harvard Law School’sCyberlaw Clinic.
She adds that this can lead caring parents to delay treatment for fear of ramifications.
It can contribute to overall wellbeing.
Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton do not have the authority to rewrite Texas law.
They are purposefully misstating the law and causing innocent law-abiding Texan children and their parents to live in fear.
If that social worker has anti-trans beliefs, they could use the directive to report and investigate trans students.
Additionally, the directive speaks to the existing and growing transphobia in the U. S., says Blake.
Anti-trans legislation has arisen across the country in predominantly red states in the last two years, Petrovnia says.
Since 2020the Trevor Project reports that calls to their crisis lineshave increased 200 percent.
Legality aside, there are real consequences for trans youth and the people that care about them.
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