February 25, 2022

TransActive Gender Project’s response to the efforts to suppress transgender youth in Texas

By Jenn Burleton, Program Director, TransActive Gender Project

Governor Greg Abbott instructed state health agencies in Texas on Tuesday, February 22nd that medical treatments provided to transgender adolescents, widely considered to be the standard of care in medicine, should be classified as “child abuse” under current state law.

The State of Texas is now fully invested in the persecution and abuse of transgender children, youth and their families as a tool for appealing to their anti-science, anti-facts, religious extremist political base.

There is zero evidence that any of the so-called “abuses” the State of Texas is crusading against are happening. 

Governor Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Asst. Governor Dan Patrick are accomplices to the vile hate ideologies of The Heritage Foundation, The Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, Parents’ Rights in Education and other theo-fascist organizations and individuals targeting our most vulnerable youth for denial of access to healthcare, participation in society through shaming and isolation and eventually, as history has taught us, potential genocide.

TransActive Gender Project stands, and will continue to stand in the breech against these malicious, fascist efforts to demonize, marginalize and eliminate minorities who do not and will not kneel to their white supremist, cissexist, and homophobic worldview.

  • Trans adolescents and youth deserve access to the medically necessary care that every ethical and legitimate healthcare body has approved

  • Parents, caregivers, and service providers delivering this care and support to these youth deserve not only our respect and support, but the freedom to meet the needs of these kids (and families) without fear of persecution or prosecution from cynical, fascistic politicians, former Presidents or self-righteous religious megalomaniacs.

The time to rise up against hate and willful ignorance is now.
Your child may not be transgender, but someone’s child is.
Someone you know is gender expansive, nonbinary, queer or gay.
Someone you love is in danger of being legislated out of existence.

For more information on our professional development training, community engagement, social justice advocacy or support services to families and youth, visit our webpage, or reach out to transactive@lclark.edu.