Abbott orders Texas probe of medical procedures for transgender children – By Juan Perez Jr (Politico) / February 23, 2022
“Any parent or guardian who loves and supports their child and is taking them to a licensed healthcare provider is not engaging in child abuse,” said an ACLU of Texas staff attorney.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott this week ordered the state’s youth protection agency to investigate the use of gender-transition procedures on children, in a directive that included calls to launch inquiries into parents and medical providers who allegedly violate the law.
Such procedures, the state’s conservative attorney general declared earlier this month, amount to child abuse under Texas law.
“Because the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is responsible for protecting children from abuse, I hereby direct your agency to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any reported instances of these abusive procedures in the State of Texas,” Abbott wrote in a Feb. 22 memo to agency Commissioner Jaime Masters.
“Texas law also imposes a duty on DFPS to investigate the parents of a child who is subjected to these abusive gender-transitioning procedures, and on other state agencies to investigate licensed facilities where such procedures may occur,” Abbott added.
