Texas officials have begun investigating parents of transgender adolescents for possible child abuse

[Nevilledog]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/us/texas-child-abuse-trans-youth.html

No paywall
https://archive.fo/EDokY

HOUSTON — Texas officials have begun investigating parents of transgender adolescents for possible child abuse, according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, after Gov. Greg Abbott directed them last week to handle gender-affirming medical treatments as possible crimes.

The investigations by the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services, which have not been previously reported, were launched in response to an order from Mr. Abbott to the agency, the lawsuit says. The order followed a nonbinding opinion by the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, that parents who provide their transgender teenagers with puberty-suppressing drugs or other medically accepted treatments could be investigated for child abuse.

Among the first to be investigated was an employee of the state protective services agency who has a 16-year-old transgender child. On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Lambda Legal went to state court in Austin to try to stop the inquiry.

The employee, who was not named in the court filing, works on the review of reports of abuse and neglect. She was placed on administrative leave last week, according to the filing, and on Friday was visited by an investigator from the agency, which is also seeking medical records related to her child. The family of the child, identified in court documents only as Mary Doe, has refused to voluntarily turn over the records.

*snip*

[obamanut2012]

1. k & r -- this is important news

This is fucking vile and evil and cruel.

[Nululu]

2. Absurd. The caseload already huge for CPS.

Guarantees more childhood abuse and death as they distract overstretched CPS.

Cruel and bigoted waste of resources. GOP is the party of Kens and Karen's. Abuse of their vulnerable citizens.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. K&R. A fucking nightmare.

[MuseRider]

4. Just who is the abuser here?

Seriously? Upsetting a family who may or may not already be struggling through issues is not abusive? Upsetting a family who is stable and has no problem at all with any of this is not abusive? Such assholes. Like the abusive parent or spouse, your saying no was abuse but the wound to your face by the fist was correction and good for you.

[crickets]

10. 👆👆

[zuul]

5. JFC! These lunatics are going to inflict so much damage

on innocent children. Monsters!

[ck4829]

6. Every case opened and sustained against these parents...

Means that children in horrid conditions go unprotected. You KNOW Texas won't have enough resources to prosecute parents of transgender children and investigate cases like these...

Two moms arrested after 6 kids found abandoned, covered in filth and lice
SAN ANTONIO - Two Houston parents were arrested after a total of six children were found abandoned, two children covered in filth, according to officials.
https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/moms-arrested-after-6-children-abandoned-kids-found-starved-infant-eats-own-feces-family-texas-houstone-kids-horrible-conditions

Attack of special needs student caught on camera; 3 adults in video seem to do nothing
HOUSTON - A special needs child is attacked at Aldine ISD’s Jones Middle School. The assault was caught on camera and the sixth grader's grandmother says she is horrified that adults in the video seem to let it happen.
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/special-needs-child-attacked-at-school-caught-on-camera-grandma-says-3-nearby-adults-seem-to-let-it-happen

Houston rapper says he found 2-year-old baby wandering, has message to all parents
A father and Houston rapper posted a viral video of a situation that was very concerning to him.

He says he found what appeared to be a 2-year-old child walking the streets alone. Now, he’s sharing his story to spread awareness to parents and inspire others to create a deeper connection with their children.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/02/25/houston-rapper-says-he-found-2-year-old-baby-wandering-has-message-to-all-parents/

But for the right-wing of Texas, maybe that's more of a feature, and not a bug.

[Solly Mack]

7. K&R

[SpankMe]

8. "Assholes"

The lot of them are chemically pure assholes. It's blatantly hypocritical to "protect children" from the ravages of the truth about slavery in America and to go to school board meetings claiming the state is usurping parental rights by teaching kids about diversity and inclusion, LGBT issues and the like. But then claim the state knows more about transgender care for youth than the youths themselves and their parents and doctors.

How far will this crusty, conservative social engineering go before companies see what a dystopian society they're living in there and consider moving out? It's time for a letter writing campaign to every company in Texas with lists of these draconian measures and pointed questioning about why that company still does business in TX.

[Spider Jerusalem]

9. Russian money is financing far-right religious extremists and anti-trans activists

this sort of thing is part of Putin's war against the West, aided and abetted by Republicans and centrist dupes, just so everyone is aware. See for instance this report from the European Parliament on disinformation campaigns related to LGBT people.

[GoodRaisin]

11. The Texas Gestapo.

Sent out by the party of “small government”.

[vercetti2021]

12. I hope for the sake of these kids

Their parents could find a way to move out of this fucking piece of shit of a state I'm going to as soon as I can. Colorado and New Mexico are not far off. But as a transgender I'm not staying in this fucking State any further

[IngridsLittleAngel]

15. Sound advice...

And I know it's not easy or pleasant, but... Any trans adult, or parents of trans kids, who can get the hell out of Texas (aka Hell)? Do it. Get out now, because, someone is going to have to stop Abbott and Paxton, and if they get away with this, they're only going to cook up something even worse next.

They're fucking Nazis.

[vercetti2021]

17. Yep

If I were wealthy. I'd ensure these kids and parents a safe place to go. Abbott can fucking drop dead

[IngridsLittleAngel]

18. You and me both

If I had the means, I'd be offering to help trans people get the hell out of Texbekistan and Florarabia ASAP.

[MagickMuffin]

13. Get government outta our homes

Oopsies, HIPPA the government cannot obtain medical records. We have HIPPA to protect us against government overreach of abusing their office.

I always thought republicons didn't like government intrusions in our daily lives. I guess that's another official we do what we want, you not so much!

[IngridsLittleAngel]

16. You used the key word there... "outta our homes"...

Not "out of your homes"

This is what the QOP has been heading toward for over 30 years now. A "utopia" where they - and only they - are free from rules, laws, responsibilities and criticism. Small government and privacy and protections for them.... and only them.

The rest of us? HUGE government, no protections, no privacy, no rights. The government able and more than willing to tell the rest of us what to do, and how to live.

Rights for me, not for thee. Privacy for me, not for thee. Stay out of my home, but absolutely feel free to go into their homes all you want.

Nazis and hypocrites, one and all. But then again, I don't think it's possible to spell "hypocrite" without the G, the O and the P.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

14. Hateful. Bigoted. Fascist...

...and about 1,000,000 adjectives, none of which should be flattering to sane people. Governor Hot Wheels and Nazi General Paxton are not sane people. They are bigoted monsters, and it is them who should be investigated and arrested for child abuse.

I'm glad that the ACLU and Lambda Legal have wasted no time filing lawsuits, and are on this. We're going to need them, and a lot of others, stepping up and fighting back against this abuse and blatant attack on human rights. Because that is exactly what the hell this is... The extreme-right human rights violating shit that took place in Nazi Germany, or in Russia under Putin, happening right here, right now.

These monsters are going to get someone killed.. They're going to ruin the lives of innocent trans kids, and their parents who only wanted to provide love and proper care to their kids. When (not if) that happens, I hope these two thugs and anyone who was "just following orders" gets sued for wrongful death - or even better, arrested.

Meanwhile, there are probably real cases of child abuse that need to be investigated and handled. But, hey, nothing is worse than parents who let their "male"-at-birth child wear a dress and makeup, or receive hormones under a doctor's supervision. But, I know. Trans kids offend little wussy-ass snowflakes like Hot Wheels and other transphobes, so, let's terrorize them... Not that these kids haven't gone through enough hell.

I am pleading with someone in the White House to say or do something. I know there's a lot going on right now, thanks to Pooty Poot going full Hitler and trying to conquer neighboring nations and starting WWIII... But they just can't sit back and let these assaults on human rights and freedom happen here either.

I try to be a peaceful person, but... If a protective goes full-on Papa or Mama Bear and takes matters into their own hands to protect their trans kids, I won't shed a tear.

GET THE FUCK OUT OF OUR LIVES, ABBOTT AND PAXTON. LEAVE US THE FUCK ALONE.