*The Texas governor has called on citizens to report parents for abuse if they have a child(ren) undergoing Gender-Affirming Care.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on “licensed professionals” and “members of the general public” to report the parents who approve of their minor children to receive gender-affirming medical care, NBC News reports.
Abbott laid out the directive in a letter sent Tuesday to the Department of Family and Protective Services, urging it to “conduct a prompt and thorough investigation” of reported cases of minors undergoing “elective procedures for gender transitioning.”
Abbott has warned teachers, nurses, and doctors that they could face criminal penalties for failing to report “such abuse.”
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.@GovAbbott As the lawyer who represents DFPS in civil child abuse cases in Harris County, I can tell you my office won’t be participating in this political game. We’ll continue to follow the laws on the books—not @KenPaxtonTX’s politically motivated and legally wrong ‘opinion’ https://t.co/cJdaYE7uC3
— Christian D. Menefee (@CDMenefee) February 22, 2022
“Texas law imposes reporting requirements upon all licensed professionals who have direct contact with children who may be subject to such abuse, including doctors, nurses, and teachers, and provides criminal penalties for failure to report such child abuse,” read the letter, which was also sent to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Medical Board, and the Texas Education Agency. “There are similar reporting requirements and criminal penalties for members of the general public. Texas law also imposes a duty on DFPS to investigate the parents of a child who is subjected to these abusive gender-transitioning procedures, and on other state agencies to investigate licensed facilities where such procedures may occur.”
Abbott’s move came days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an opinion released Monday that defined gender transition care, such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery, child abuse under state law.
“There is no doubt that these procedures are ‘abuse’ under Texas law, and thus must be halted,” Paxton said. “The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has a responsibility to act accordingly. I’ll do everything I can to protect those who take advantage of and harm young Texans.”
As reported by Washington Post, several state officials and legal experts have made clear that they will ignore Abbott’s order.
“Targeting trans youth, their parents, and their health care providers for political gain is unconscionable,” World Professional Association for Transgender Health said in a statement to the Dallas Morning News. “We strongly denounce this alarmist and misguided opinion which could obstruct access to medically necessary care.”
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