Texas court expands protections for families with trans kids
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A Texas judge expanded an injunction on Friday to block state officials from investigating families with trans children that belong to PFLAG National, an LGBTQ advocacy group, the ACLU announced.
The big picture: The decision expands on a district court's previous injunction to protect some families that are part of PFLAG, which has sued to block state investigations against them for supporting gender-affirming care.
- PFLAG claims more than 600 members in Texas, per the Texas Tribune.
Catch up fast: In May, the Texas Supreme Court said that state agencies could but were not required to continue conducting child abuse investigations against the parents of trans children, Axios' Oriana Gonzalez reports.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered state agencies in February to investigate gender-affirming care for transgender kids as child abuse.
- There are multiple ongoing lawsuits challenging the directive.
What they're saying: “Today, families of transgender kids in Texas who are members of PFLAG National find shelter from Gov. Abbott's unjust order,” Brian K. Bond, executive director of PFLAG National, said.
- “Once again a Texas court has stepped in to say what we knew from the beginning: State leaders have no business interfering with life-saving care essential for transgender youth,” ACLU of Texas' Adri Pérez said.
Between the lines: Medical organizations have condemned Abbott's directive, saying it could have a detrimental effect on the mental health of transgender youth.
- Over two-thirds of LGBTQ youth have said that debates over state laws that target transgender people have negatively impacted their mental health, according to a poll by the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth.
Go deeper: Understanding Abbott's order on trans kids in Texas
