Here's what to know about our latest lawsuit for trans youth and their families.

ACLU Supporter –

Today, the ACLU, ACLU of Texas, and Lambda Legal filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent the state of Texas from investigating families for supporting their trans kids – and requiring any professionals who work with youth to report these families. Here are the most immediate facts to know.

Last week, Attorney General Ken Paxton released an opinion declaring gender-affirming medical care for transgender children to be child abuse. In response, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate families that support their trans kids.

These actions are devastating, dehumanizing, and terrifying to the families being targeted. But neither Gov. Abbot, AG Paxton, nor the DFPS has the legal authority to investigate these families or to take kids away from loving and supporting homes.

Somehow, that hasn't stopped investigations from already starting. According to our clients, at least one family had a child welfare investigator show up on their doorstep last week – and reports are coming in from across the state that investigations are ramping up.

That's why we're suing and swiftly, ACLU Supporter. Abbott and Paxton's policy isn't just beyond the scope of their authority and clearly motivated by partisan politics, it's also wrong and opposed by healthcare professionals and child welfare experts across the board.

Gender-affirming care saves lives, brings joy, and is supported by every major medical association. It saved my life, and I'm certainly not alone.

No one should have to fight this hard for that type of lifesaving care. But rather than making medical care more affordable and accessible to people who need it, Texas is adding yet another barrier – one that will land hardest on Black and Indigenous families who are already over-policed and surveilled by the so-called child welfare system.

This isn't isolated to Texas either. Dozens of states are already attacking trans youth through anti-trans legislation nationwide, including some that propose criminalizing gender-affirming medical care.

For all of these urgent reasons and more, today we have asked the courts to immediately block Texas from investigating families just for having a transgender kid that they love and support. And we'll continue fighting alongside all trans youth across the country.

But as we do, please know your voice is absolutely critical in these efforts, too.

Trans youth need you to take the fury you have over what's happening in Texas and turn it into activism and support: Speak up when lies and misinformation about trans youth are being spread, tell your lawmaker that you are firmly opposed to any bills that make it harder for trans youth to survive and thrive – and most importantly, show up for trans youth today and every day.

We'll be sure to keep you updated on further litigation news as it unfolds – and in the meantime, thank you for being with us in the fight.

For trans youth everywhere,

Chase Strangio
Pronouns: He/Him or They/Them
Deputy Director for Transgender Justice, LGBTQ & HIV Project, ACLU

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