A Texas judge on Friday temporarily banned the state from investigating families of transgender children who received medical proof sex treatment, a new obstacle for the state to call such treatment child abuse.
A temporary restraining order issued by Judge Ian Swifer halted investigations against the three families they sued and prevented a similar investigation against members of LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG Inc. The group has more than 600 members in Texas.
The decision came about a month after the Texas Supreme Court allowed the state to investigate transgender youth parents for child abuse and also decided in favor of a single family that first contacted officials. of childcare after the order of Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
The latest challenge was launched by Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union.
In March, a judge revoked that order following a lawsuit filed on behalf of a 16-year-old girl whose family said an investigation was ongoing. The Texas Supreme Court ruled in May that the lower court revoked its authority and blocked all further investigations.
The lawsuit cited the first parental investigation report in an Abbott directive and a previous non-binding legal opinion from Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who described some gender treatment as “child abuse.” The Texas Department of Family and Conservation Services said it initiated nine investigations following the directive and opinion.
Abbott’s directive and the attorney general’s opinion are against the nation’s largest medical group, including the American Medical Association, which opposes Republican -supported restrictions imposed on states in the country.
Source: Huffpost
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