A Texas judge has blocked the state’s harmful “child abuse” investigations into parents of trans youth.
On 8 June, Adam and Amber Briggle, two other anonymous families and the LGBTQ+ organisation Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) filed a lawsuit against DFPS and Governor Greg Abbott.
The legal documents were filed due to Abbott’s harmful anti-trans directives that he issued in late February – which called on the DFPS to investigate the parents of trans youth undergoing gender-affirming care.
The court filings revealed that the governor’s horrific directives created a great deal of anxiety and fear for the three families.
One of the mothers involved in the suit also disclosed that their trans teen attempted suicide the day Abbott released his anti-trans letter.
The traumatic incident resulted in the teen being referred to a psychiatric facility – which ended up reporting the parents after they discovered that the teen was on gender-affirming care.
Two days after the lawsuit was filed, Judge Jan Soifer of the Travis County District Court issued a restraining order, blocking the aforementioned probes.
“I do find that there is sufficient reason to believe that the plaintiffs will suffer immediate and irreparable injury if the commissioner and the (Department of Family and Protective Services) are allowed to continue to implement and enforce this new Department rule that equates gender-affirming care with child abuse,” Soifer said during the court hearing on 10 June.
With the temporary block in place, investigations into the three families and PFLAG have been banned until the next court hearing on 21 June.
Shortly after the ruling, Executive Director of PFLAG National Brian K. Bond released a statement praising the decision.
“That families will be protected from invasive, unnecessary, and unnerving investigations by DF[PS simply for helping their transgender children thrive and be themselves is a very good thing,” he said. “However, let’s be clear: These investigations into loving and affirming families shouldn’t be happening in the first place.”
This isn’t the first time that a Texas court halted the harmful anti-trans directives.
Back in March, an anonymous family of a trans teen and psychologist Megan Mooney filed a lawsuit against the state.
In the documents, the parents (who are identified as Jane Doe and John Doe) revealed that a DFPS investigator requested the medical records of their trans daughter – who they referred to as Mary Doe.
“We are terrified for Mary’s health and well-being and for our family,” they said in a declaration.
In response to the directives, District Judge Amy Clark Meachum implemented the statewide injunction on 11 March.
“The court finds sufficient cause to enter a temporary injunction,” she said.
However, on 13 May, the Texas Supreme Court overturned the statewide injunction due to the appeals court overstepping its authority.
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