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| Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's order to investigate the parents of trans kids is wrecking the state's child protection agency. |
From the Dallas Morning News:
Continuing to investigate the parents of transgender youth could put Texas’ child protection agency over the brink of collapse, a group of its staffers said in a new court filing. In an Aug. 25 brief filed with the Austin appeals court, 16 current and former employees at the Department of Family and Protective Services said there has been an exodus from the agency that could hamper its ability to perform basic and necessary functions. They urged the court to keep the abuse investigations on hold while the policy continues to be litigated.“As career DFPS employees,” they wrote to “respectfully advise the Court that DFPS is on the brink of collapse, and that the politically motivated decision to compel DFPS employees like themselves to investigate nonabusive loving and supportive families who merely rely in good faith on their doctor’s advice would put DFPS over that brink.”They noted that age appropriate and individualized gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, are supported by the state and nation’s largest medical organizations. These treatments are meant to help treat gender dysphoria, the feeling of discomfort or distress that can occur for those who identify as a gender different from the gender or sex assigned at birth.“The great mass of DFPS employees did not choose the child welfare profession to break up loving families who, with no ill motive, malice, or negligence toward their child, are simply following medical advice and administering medicine under a doctor’s supervision,” they added.The staff warnings underscores the chaos that the controversial policy change has created. It was filed less than two weeks after The Dallas Morning News first wrote that internal documents revealed confusion and secrecy marked the decision’s rollout in February. More than 2,000 employees have left the agency this year, The Houston Chronicle reported this month.
Abbott's order to investigate the parents of trans kids was considered a touchstone in this so-called culture war about trans issues. Now that it all seems to be falling apart for him, where is all of the attention? This article is infuriating on so many levels, but one of the main issues why is that very few people in the media seem to be paying attention.
It says lot about they think about LGBTQ people and our issues.
