{"id":7556,"date":"2022-04-02T14:22:23","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T14:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=7556"},"modified":"2022-04-02T14:22:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-02T14:22:23","slug":"texas-sued-as-state-starts-investigating-parents-of-trans-children-for-child-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=7556","title":{"rendered":"Texas Sued As State Starts Investigating Parents of Trans Children for ‘Child Abuse’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\n“Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, responding to a memo from Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, ordered<\/a> the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to launch these investigations. Paxton argued in his memo that any sort of medical treatment of a trans minor constituted child abuse because some treatments may interfere with the child’s ability to reproduce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this threat didn’t just cover gender reassignment surgery\u2014something that normally doesn’t happen to minors anyway\u2014but also hormonal treatments that block the impacts of puberty on a trans teen\u2014something that doesn’t sterilize them and is reversible. The order also came with a massive threat to any government official or health worker inclined to look the other way: They could also be prosecuted if they knew a parent was pursuing medical treatment for a trans child and did not report them to the authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this might have looked like the latest loudmouthed culture war fight\u2014the memo doesn’t change the state’s statutory definition of child abuse\u2014the Texas DFPS has begun investigating parents of trans kids. The first target was one of their own. The New York Times<\/em> reports<\/a> that the DFPS put one of its own staff members on leave as the agency investigates her over the medical treatment her 16-year-old trans daughter is receiving. The agency has attempted to demand the mother (who is not identified) provide the teen’s medical records. She’s refusing, and now with the ACLU’s help, she’s suing to attempt to stop both the investigation and enforcement of Abbott’s order.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Critics of helping minors transition say parents are rushing into major decisions without a full understanding of the risks. Whether that’s true, the solution is not to put politicians and the government in control of what constitutes legitimate medical treatment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“throwing the parents of trans teens under the bus is a big political winner<\/a>, according to Abbott’s political strategist. Don’t trust politicians in general, but especially don’t trust politicians who only believe in certain<\/em> parents’ rights and not others.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Texas Sued As State Starts Investigating Parents of Trans Children for ‘Child Abuse’<\/a><\/blockquote>