A Texas judge has issued a temporary injunction blocking the state from investigating child abuse gender confirming care for transgender youth. This currently prevents the state from enforcing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to compel the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate reports of youth receiving such care.
The injunction broadens the judge’s earlier order blocking the state’s investigation of the parents of one transgender teenager. The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal sued on behalf of the parents of the 16-year-old girl over the investigation and Abbott’s directive. Meachum scheduled a trial for July 11 on the challenge to Abbott’s directive.
The lawsuit marked the first report of parents being investigated following Abbott’s directive and an earlier nonbinding legal opinion by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton labeling certain gender-confirming treatments as “child abuse.” DFPS said it had opened nine investigations following the directive and opinion.
“The court’s decisive ruling today brings some needed relief to trans youth in Texas but we cannot stop fighting,” Brian Klosterboer, ACLU of Texas attorney, said in a statement after the ruling.
via AP
