State Representative Jessica González, Vice Chair of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest Texas anti-transgender directive.

Between Bells

Texas Investigates Parents Over Care for Transgender Youth, Lawsuit Reveals

Welcome back to Between Bells and a highly controversial decision. Texas officials have began investigating parents of transgender youth for signs of child abuse. The decision comes after Governor Greg Abbott signed an order for the Lone Star State to investigate any quote reported instances of abusive procedures in the state of texas. The american Civil liberties union of texas and L. G. B. T. Q. Civil rights organization Lambda Legal is seeking to stop this investigation with a lawsuit. Now, the suit claims Abbott's order to investigate families of transgender Children is without constitutional or statutory authority. Joining us. Now to talk more about this is texas state Representative and vice chair of the texas House L. G. B. T. Q. Caucus Jessica Gonzales represent Representative Gonzalez. Welcome to the show as I was reading this and I've I've done so much research, it's still mind boggling that this is being discussed. Governor Abbott has clearly said that parents who allow their Children to go through quote sex change procedures should be classified as sex abuse. What's your reaction here? You know, this this opinion it's devastating for for transgender youth and parents. You know, ken paxton and these texas politicians have repeatedly attacked and harmed our transgender youth instead of focusing on issues that impact Texans. Right. Um, so even though this opinion has has no legal effect, It could it could even though it doesn't, it could encourage teachers, social workers um, to out transgender youth and false falsely accused parents and doctors of child abuse. Uh not to mention that it will prevent access, it will prevent this access to lifesaving healthcare for trans youth, although every medical association has made it very very clear um that treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy are medically necessary uh for certain youth. Uh you know, these parents are just they're they're terrified. Uh We we know that CPS is launching these investigations. They're showing up at their doors. We have parents that they are scared to take their kids to the hospital, afraid that CPS is gonna show up at school and pull their kids out of class. Um You know, unfortunately, we have lawyers pro bono lawyers across the state that has stepped up to provide legal assistance to these families because it's it's they're terrified and nobody should ever feel scared to be to be in their home or to be able to send their kids to school. Do we know how many families have been contacted so far in regards to this investigation? Well, that's not clear. We do know that that that they are contacting. Um I mean, they're contacting legislative offices. They are contacting a. C. L. U. Tent. Um You know, a whole host of equality groups that we have here in texas, we know for we know for sure at least there are three families that we know for certain that have been targeted. Um These are families that have gone to the capital, have advocated um for for their Children for their families. And so we know that that there's a target on their backs, um but we're not sure exactly how many families are being affected right now, but we do know that they are terrified. Um and and and every day is something different, right? And now we have these texas officials um that are doubling down on their cruelty and now aggressively pursuing an appeal to defend their ability to investigate these parents um solely for having trans Children. For quite some time. There have been so many anti L. G. B. T. Q. Bills across the country, not just in texas, but why do you think texas is choosing to focus on trans Children? You know, unfortunately, this is not a new problem in Texas. You know, we we've been seeing it for years. You can look back 2017 um with the bathroom bill. Um last year Republicans here in Texas, they banned trans Children from playing sports. Um now that they're they're trying to remove books from classrooms that discuss topics like sexual orientation and gender identity. So every session, republicans renewed their efforts to attack the LGBT community and we're seeing it more and more, they're becoming more and more aggressive and we know that they're not going to stop Representative Gonzalez. I want to ask about the trauma that transgender youth in your state are currently experiencing. What have you heard? I mean, these kids, I mean, they're they're terrified, you know, and and we've seen uh, you know, through the Trevor hotline, um every time that an anti LGBT Q. Bill um you know, gets filed or it gets debated and and you know, at the capitol um that that the the calls to their suicide hotline um shut up right? Because um nobody needs to these Children and these families have to go and and and and justify why they should be able to exist here in texas. And so it has a devastating mental effect on these Children. Um And not to mention now um they're not going to be able to have access to the health care that they need. So right now the parent of one teenager has successfully been able to challenge this new policy. Could we see other investigations being halted as well? You know, we we we hope so. Um and we just continue to to you know, to to provide these folks this little assistance. Um You know, as I said that that the courts, I mean now they're, you know, they're appealing this decision. That was that was recently made by the court. But um you know, at this point we know that that the biden administration, they're doing their part whatever they can do. Um And so hopefully we'll see something and we'll be able to protect these families texas. State Representative and Vice chair of the texas, House L. G. B. T. Q. Caucus Jessica Gonzalez Representative, we always appreciate your time. Thank you so much for coming on this show