The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit Tuesday to block the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services from investigating parents who seek gender-affirming care for their transgender children. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
March 1 (UPI) — The American Civil Liberties Unit filed suit Tuesday seeking to block Texas from investigating the parents of transgender children under a recent directive by Gov. Greg Abbott.
The national nonprofit was joined by its Texas branch and Lambda Legal, a legal defense and education fund focused on LGBTQ communities in the lawsuit, which seeks to block the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services from launching investigations into parents who work with medical professionals to provide their children with gender-affirming care.
The suit, which names Abbott along with the Protective Services and its commissioner, Jaime Masters, as defendants, claims that the directives were issued “without proper authority,” violating the Texas Administrative Procedures Act, the separation of powers requirement of the Texas constitution and the constitutional rights of transgender youth and their parents.
It was filed on behalf of an agency employee, her husband and her transgender child, who said an investigator was sent to their house, along with Dr. Martin Megan Mooney, a licensed psychologist, who said she cannot comply with the directive without harming her clients and violating her ethical obligations.
“These efforts to cut off and criminalize necessary health care for transgender minors are in direct conflict with the recommendations of medical professionals and have nothing to do with what’s best for trans youth,” said Chase Strangio, deputy director for trans justice with the ACLU LGBTQ & HIV Project.
Last week, Abbott issued the directive, which ordered the agency to investigate any reports of “sex change procedures” including gender-affirming surgeries and administration of drugs such as testosterone and estrogen involving children.
Under the directive, licensed professionals who have direct contact with children — including doctors, nurses and teachers — are obligated to report such “abusive procedures” and could face criminal penalties for failing to do so.
The White House condemned the directive, with principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying Texas families should be able to seek the appropriate healthcare for their transgender children from doctors without the threat of prosecution.
“No parent should face the agony of a politician standing in the way of accessing life-saving care for their child,” she said.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit Tuesday to block the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services from investigating parents who seek gender-affirming care for their transgender children. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo March 1 (UPI) — The American Civil Liberties Unit filed suit Tuesday seeking to block Texas from investigating the parents of transgender children under a recent directive by Gov. Greg Abbott. The national nonprofit was joined by its Texas branch and Lambda Legal, a legal defense and education fund focused on LGBTQ communities in the lawsuit, which seeks to block the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services from launching investigations into parents who work with medical professionals to provide their children with gender-affirming care. The suit, which names Abbott along with the Protective Services and its commissioner, Jaime Masters, as defendants, claims that the directives were issued “without proper authority,” violating the Texas Administrative Procedures Act, the separation of powers requirement of the Texas constitution and the constitutional rights of transgender youth and their parents. It was filed on behalf of an agency employee, her husband and her transgender child, who said an investigator was sent to their house, along with Dr. Martin Megan Mooney, a licensed psychologist, who said she cannot comply with the directive without harming her clients and violating her ethical obligations. “These efforts to cut off and criminalize necessary health care for transgender minors are in direct conflict with the recommendations of medical professionals and have nothing to do with what’s best for trans youth,” said Chase Strangio, deputy director for trans justice with the ACLU LGBTQ & HIV Project. Last week, Abbott issued the directive, which ordered the agency to investigate any reports of “sex change procedures” including gender-affirming surgeries and administration of drugs such as testosterone and estrogen involving children. Under the directive, licensed professionals who have direct contact with children — including doctors, nurses and teachers — are obligated to report such “abusive procedures” and could face criminal penalties for failing to do so. The White House condemned the directive, with principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying Texas families should be able to seek the appropriate healthcare for their transgender children from doctors without the threat of prosecution. “No parent should face the agony of a politician standing in the way of accessing life-saving care for their child,” she said.