Gov. Abbott directs state agency to investigate gender-transitioning procedures as child abuse

AUSTIN – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday sent a letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services directing the agency to investigate gender-transitioning procedures performed on children as child abuse.

In the letter, Abbott cited Attorney General Ken Paxton’s formal attorney general opinion concluding that gender reassignment surgery constitutes child abuse under existing state law.

“As OAG Opinion No. KP-0401 makes clear, it is already against the law to subject Texas children to a wide variety of elective procedures for gender transitioning, including reassignment surgeries that can cause sterilization, mastectomies, removals of otherwise healthy body parts, and administration of puberty-blocking drugs or supraphysiologic doses of testosterone or estrogen,” Abbott said in the letter to DFPS.

Abbott said all licensed professionals including doctors, nurses, teachers and even the general public could face criminal penalties for failing to report any such procedures.

Also on KSAT:

• Targeting surgeries rarely used on kids, Gov. Greg Abbott asks state agency to determine if gender affirming care is child abuse
• As Texas GOP leaders continue targeting transgender children, state’s protective services agency takes aim at surgeries rarely used on kids
• What is gender-affirming medical care for transgender children? Here’s what you need to know.
• Gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender kids would be considered child abuse under Texas Senate bill