“In the midst of tragedy we were able to really make legislators understand the cost of the rhetoric and what our community was paying.” “This was the first time legislators were faced with the reality of what was happening in a deeper way,” Emmett Schelling, Transgender Education Network of Texas’ executive director, said in a 2019 conversation about building trans political power. When advocacy groups showed lawmakers pictures of Booker’s face, they stated every single lawmaker had a hard time looking at the photo. Booker was found dead one month after being assaulted in a Dallas parking lot. In 2019, Black transgender women like Muhlaysia Booker and Chynal Lindsey were killed in Dallas during a year that almost every transgender person murdered was a Black woman. “And so these laws have the potential to just have a dramatic impact on these families.” “These kids already suffer from much higher rates of mental health concerns related to anxiety and the higher levels of suicidal ideation because of all the stress that they’re under,” said Kaplan, president of the Texas Pediatric Society. The legislation ultimately failed in that special session after also failing in the preceding regular session.Įxperts warn legislation like this demonizes transgender people, which can lead to them facing higher rates of violence and mental health issues. In 2017, Abbott called a special session to, among other issues, pass a controversial bathroom bill that would have restricted which restrooms transgender Texans could use. Major legislation targeting transgender Texans has been introduced in recent regular legislative and special sessions. “And they deserve to have the same health care that all kids have, which is evidence-based health care that serves to promote their growth and development to help them become healthy, fully functioning adults.” “The most important message is that trans kids are kids,” said Seth Kaplan, president of the Texas Pediatric Society. This transition is done with their family and community’s support. An example could include allowing a child assigned male at birth to grow their hair or use a different name and wear clothing that better fits their identity. A social transition consists of the steps a child takes to affirm their identity. Under the gender-affirming model of care, more time is spent allowing kids to socially transition instead of focusing on medical treatment. Providers often work with counselors and family members to ensure they have everything they need to navigate the health care system. A district judge granted a temporary restraining order, which was soon challenged by Paxton.Īreana Quiñones, executive director for the Texas nonprofit organization Doctors For Change, defined gender-affirming care as judgment-free, individualized care oriented toward understanding and appreciating a person’s gender. The order came days after Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a nonbinding legal opinion classifying certain types of gender-affirming care as child abuse.Ĭivil rights groups sued to block Abbott's order as the first of these investigations came to light. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in February to investigate those who seek gender-affirming care for their children. The families have begun lawyering up after Gov. Texas families with transgender children are facing new fears as state leaders continue targeting them and anti-trans policies crystalize as a top priority in the state Republicans' agenda. Read our mental health resource guide for more information. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 80 or text 741741 from anywhere in the country to text with a trained crisis counselor. For LGBTQ mental health support, call the Trevor Project’s 24/7 toll-free support line at 86.
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