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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTexas agency removes webpages with resources for LGBTQ youths
Texas officials removed two webpages in late August that provided resources for LGBTQ youths including a link to a suicide prevention hotline a few hours after criticism from one of Gov. Greg Abbotts Republican primary challengers.
The candidate, Don Huffines, who owns a real estate development company in the Dallas area, wrote Aug. 31 on Twitter: Its offensive to see @GregAbbott_TX use our tax dollars to advocate for transgender ideology. This must end.
He described a webpage on the Department of Family and Protective Services website titled gender identity and sexual orientation.
Theyre talking about helping empower and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, allied, nonheterosexual behavior, and it goes on and on, Huffines said in a video. I mean, really? This is Texas. These are not Texas values. These are not Republican Party values. But these are obviously Greg Abbotts values.
In a separate tweet the same afternoon, Huffines linked to a webpage for Texas Youth Connection, a program run by the Department of Family and Protective Services, which included a link to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention group, and other LGBTQ rights groups.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/texas-agency-removes-webpages-resources-lgbtq-youths-rcna2929?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma
LetMyPeopleVote
(145,242 posts)This is disgusting
Link to tweet
State agency removed online resources for LGBTQ youth after complaints from a Republican challenging Gov. Greg Abbott, emails show https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/12/texas-lgbtq-resources-department-family-protective-services/
Texas child welfare agency removed a webpage that offered resources to LGBTQ youth following complaints by one of Republican Gov. Greg Abbotts GOP primary challengers, according to internal agency communications.
On Aug. 31, Republican former state Sen. Don Huffines released a video on Twitter claiming that DFPS is promoting transgender sexual policies to Texas youth through a webpage titled Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation.
These are not Texas values, these are not Republican party values, but these are obviously Greg Abbotts values, thats why we need a change, thats what my campaigns about, Huffines said.
The Houston Chronicle first reported on the internal agency correspondence. According to communications obtained by The Texas Tribune, in the hours after Huffines video went up, DFPS employees discussed the possibility of removing the webpage or changing its content.
Huffines, a staunch conservative, is challenging Abbott from the right in next years GOP primary. Abbotts office has not responded to a request for comment on the matter. The governor has power to appoint the DFPS commissioner and the agencys nine-member council.
In an email to DFPS spokesperson Patrick Crimmins on Aug. 31, DFPS media specialist Marissa Gonzales wrote that Huffines video was starting to blow up on Twitter, linking to his video and the webpage in question. The page was populated with information from the Texas Youth Connection, a DFPS division that provides local and national resources to help youth transition into adulthood.