A Texas appellate court has upheld a lower court’s injunction blocking a state investigation into parents placing their children in gender-affirming care.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) responded to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) issuing an opinion advocating for certain gender-affirming medical treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. , in 2022, ordered state authorities to launch an investigation into the parents of transgender minors. , is classified as child abuse.
Following Abbott’s order, a district court judge issued a temporary restraining order on the statewide investigation, saying it endangered children and their families.
The Court of Appeals in Austin, Texas, upheld the injunction, a victory for LGTBQ groups and medical professionals who resisted the order. That decision is first reported Friday via Reuters.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) praised the decision, calling it “great news for transgender youth and their families in Texas.”
The ACLU challenged Abbott’s order because the investigation involved a 16-year-old Texas boy who was receiving puberty-delaying drugs and hormone therapy. Her mother works for the state Department of Family and Protective Services, and she was placed on leave after asking what Abbott’s decision meant for her family, Reuters reported.
“We are pleased that the court upheld the district court’s injunction that protects the families of transgender youth across the state from unlawful searches under DFPS rules.” said Paul D. Castillo, senior attorney at Lambda Legal. , said in a statement.
Many other states currently have laws prohibiting transgender youth from receiving certain gender-affirming care and are grappling with ongoing court challenges to these policies.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
