Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Tuesday directed the state to investigate transgender treatments on kids, pointing out the Workplace of the Chief Law Officer (OAG), which has actually verified that “a variety of so-called ‘sex change’ treatments constitute child abuse under existing Texas law.”
In a letter attended to to Jaime Masters, commissioner of the Texas Department of Household and Protective Solutions (DFPS), Abbott affirmed that the OAG figured out that a number of the so-called sex-change treatments done on kids “make up child abuse,” thereby directing the agency to “carry out a timely and thorough investigation of any reported circumstances of these violent treatments in the State of Texas.”
Pointing Out the OAG Opinion, Abbott stated it is clear that it is against the law to “subject Texas kids to a wide variety of elective treatments for gender transitioning, including reassignment surgical treatments that can cause sanitation, mastectomies, removals of otherwise healthy body parts, and administration of puberty-blocking drugs or supraphysiologic doses of testosterone or estrogen.” Under Texas law, Abbott continued, all accredited professionals “who have direct contact with kids who might go through such abuse, consisting of physicians, nurses, and teachers,” could face “criminal penalties for failure to report such kid abuse.”
“There are comparable reporting requirements and criminal penalties for members of the general public,” Abbott continued, informing DFPS that it likewise has a responsibility to “examine the parents of a kid who is subjected to these violent gender-transitioning procedures, and on other state companies to examine licensed facilities where such treatments may happen.”
Numerous firms are cc ‘d on the letter, consisting of the Health and Person Providers Commission, Texas Medical Board, Texas Board of Nursing, Texas State Board of Pharmacy, Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, Texas Education Association, Texas State Board of Educator Accreditation, and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department:
Greg Abbot has officially directed Household and Protective Solutions to start investigating all trans kids in Texas and prosecuting their moms and dads as child abusers.
He has actually also advised all teachers, physicians, and caretakers to begin reporting any trans trainees they see. pic.twitter.com/AO4FdYNuym
— Erin, Trail Mom (@ErinInTheMorn) February 23, 2022
Abbott’s letter followed Chief law officer Ken Paxton’s viewpoint indicating that some of these procedures on children do, in truth, make up kid abuse:
Sex-change operations and the age of puberty blockers recommended to kids is “child abuse” under Texas law.
These treatments are monstrous and awful. “I’ll do whatever I can to secure against those who take advantage of and damage young Texans. https://t.co/AOoO5NNmyC
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) February 21, 2022
“The Texas Family Code is clear– triggering or permitting significant damage to the child, or the kid’s development and development is kid abuse,” the viewpoint checks out in part. “Courts have held that an unneeded surgery that gets rid of a healthy body part from a kid can make up a real and substantial injury or damage to the child.”
As The Dallas Morning News reported, “Attorney general viewpoints do not have the force of law, but former officials stated agency heads are primarily expected to follow them.”
Kate Murphy, senior policy partner for kid security at Texans Care for Kid, told the outlet that it is “unclear” what will occur next, as it is a “nonbinding viewpoint.”
“Right now, we have more questions than answers,” Murphy stated.