Texas Judge Blocks Probe of Trans Teen’s Family
Governor’s invasive directive aims to criminalize gender-affi rming care
BY MATT TRACY
A judge in Texas has at
least temporarily halted
a state-based investigation
into the family of
a transgender girl after Governor
Greg Abbott issued a directive calling
on offi cials to look into “any
reported instances” of children receiving
gender-affi rming care.
The ruling came one day after
the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU), ACLU of Texas, and Lambda
Legal fi led a lawsuit on behalf of
the 16-year-old trans girl and her
parents in a bid to stop the state’s
Department of Family and Protective
Services (DFPS) from carrying
out its investigation into the family.
District Court Judge Amy Clark
Meachum of Travis County granted
the temporary restraining order,
though it is limited to the individuals
involved in the lawsuit. A followup
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has faced a setback in his quest to investigate families of trans youth.
hearing has been scheduled for
March 11 to determine whether to
broadly bar the directive.
The suit was fi led after the transgender
teen’s mother, who works
for DFPS, was placed on leave
and received a home visit from the
agency after asking her supervisor
how DFPS should navigate the
REUTERS/LOREN ELLIOTT
governor’s February 22 directive,
which was issued after Attorney
General Ken Paxton’s legal opinion
declaring gender-affi rming care to
be a form of “child abuse.”
“That same day, and just mere
hours later, the child’s mother
was placed on leave from her employment
because she has a transgender
LEGAL
daughter with a medical
need for treatment of gender dysphoria,”
the lawsuit alleged.
Megan Mooney, a licensed psychologist
who is unable to follow
the directive without violating
ethical guidelines, also joined the
lawsuit. Abbott’s letter said “all licensed
professionals who have direct
contact with children” including
“doctors, nurses, and teachers”
must report the children or face
criminal penalties.
The lawsuit accused the governor
of violating state law and the
constitution, as well as the defendants’
constitutional rights.
Chase Strangio, deputy director
for trans justice with the ACLU LGBTQ
& HIV Project, said the development
represented a “critical victory”
and an “important fi rst step”
in the larger campaign to push
back against the state’s transphobic
regulations.
Join us for in-person
performances at KCA!
A Soul, Gospel, and R&B Celebration
A TRIBUTE TO
ARETHA FRANKLIN:
THE QUEEN OF SOUL
Sun, Mar 20 at 3pm,
Colden Auditorium
Fantastical Family Fun
B-UNDERWATER
BUBBLE SHOW
Sun, April 24 at 3pm,
Colden Auditorium
A Tribute to Ella, Billie, Bessie & More
LADIES SING THE BLUES
Fri, May 6 at 8pm,
LeFrak Concert Hall
For tickets to live events and complete calendar info, visit kupferbergcenter.org or call the BOX OFFICE at 718-793-8080
NEW YORK
COMMUNITY BANK
Queens County Savings Bank Division
@KupferbergCenterArts
@kupferbergcenter
@kupferbergarts
GayCityNews.com | March 10 - March 23, 2022 5
/kupferbergcenter.org
/GayCityNews.com
