Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts

3/1/24

PFLAG Responds to Texas Demand For Information

PFLAG National CEO Brian Bond

PFLAG National CEO Brian Bond said on Instagram that he will not comply with TX AG Ken Paxton's unprecedented, and outrageous demand for information on trans youth in Texas.

ACLU National is suing to stop a request from office of the Texas Attorney General for PFLAG to turn over information about their support of families in Texas seeking gender-affirming medical care for their trans youth.

Breaking An Austin judge issued a temporary injuction blocking Paxton from collecting information about transgender children from PFLAG National

KSAT reports that Travis County District Court Judge Maria CantĂș Hexsel said in an order that providing the information would harm PFLAG and its members in several ways, including violating their rights of free speech, association and protection from unreasonable searches. Additionally, the judge said, it would be a “gross invasion” of privacy. A hearing was scheduled for March 25 to give the attorney general's office a chance to make the case for why Friday's order shouldn't continue.

7/13/23

Texas Transgender Families File Lawsuit To Stop Youth Healthcare Ban

Parents of children being treated for gender dysphoria and others are suing Texas over a recently passed bill that bans such medical care.

The parents of transgender youth filed a lawsuit asking for A temporary  injunction halting the trans youth healthcare ban that is set to begin on Sept. 1, 2023.

The complaint reads in part:

On June 2, 2023, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas signed into law Senate Bill 14 (“SB14” or the “Ban”), categorically banning the provision of necessary and often lifesaving medical treatment to transgender adolescents in Texas. The law passed despite the sustained and robust opposition of medical experts and the Texas families that stand to be severely negatively impacted. Absent intervention from this Court, the Ban will take effect on September 1, 2023.

Read the full complaint HERE

6/18/22

Dallas Judge Removes TX AG Ken Paxton from Case Involving Trans Youth Healthcare

Ken Paxton
Ken Paxton

DALLAS, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A judge in Dallas County today removed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from a lawsuit involving Dallas' Children's Medical Center and physicians there providing gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

Judge Melissa Bellan in Dallas County Court at Law No. 2 ruled that Mr. Paxton and his office do not have the authority to act in the case and that no state law was implicated.

"The attorney general has no business being in this case and tried to push his way into it to satisfy a political interest, not a legal one," says Charla Aldous, who along with law partner Brent Walker and attorney Stephen Malouf represent the plaintiff, Dr. Ximena Lopez.

Attorney General Paxton intervened in the case claiming gender-affirming care constitutes child abuse. During a two-hour hearing in front of Judge Bellan, attorneys for the AG questioned whether Dr. Lopez was following the proper standard of care, but the court rejected those arguments.

"The attorney general intervened in this lawsuit with no purpose but intimidation only," Mr. Walker told the court.

Dr. Lopez filed suit in April against Children's Medical Center in Dallas in order to continue providing gender-affirming care – including hormone treatments and puberty blockers – for transgender youth after such care was suspended last fall. She and others believe that action happened after the attorney general and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pressured Children's and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to stop providing such treatment at the GENECIS clinic.

During the hearing in front of Judge Bellan, Mr. Malouf pointed out that use of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria is on an approved list of treatments written by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.

Through the lawsuit, and a temporary injunction that is now in place, Dr. Lopez and other physicians at Children's are once again allowed to provide gender-affirming care.

4/6/22

Courageous TX Mother of Trans Son Amber Briggle appears on MSNBC

Amber Briggle, a TX mom of a transgender child has "no more words" to say to AG Ken Paxton, who’s labeled gender-affirming care for kids as child abuse. "He broke bread with my family and now he says that families like mine should not exist."

Mrs. Briggle was afraid for the safety of her children if she left them with loving relatives while she went to the GLAAD media awards. Her main concerns weren't about whether her kids would get enough to eat or make it to school on time. But about the Texas official state criminals should they steal them while she was away.

'I am angry every single day because of the way the world treats my son' — Mom Amber Briggle delivered a tearful speech at the GLAAD Media Awards after being investigated for providing gender-affirming care for her trans son in Texas.

Amber's powerful testimony against anti-trans legislation in 2021:

"I’m terrified because I’m the parent of a trans child. And I’m afraid that by speaking here today, my words will be used against me should #SB1646 or #SB1311 pass, & my sweet son whom I love more than life itself, will be taken from me."

"But here I am."

3/25/22

Denton Texas Passes a Trans Inclusive Non-Discrimination Ordinance

Paxton enjoyed breaking bread with the Briggle family in 2016. The Briggle family hoped that in spending time with them he would come to appreciate true Texas family values.

The hometown of a transgender family that is being attacked by the state just passed a trans-inclusive LGBTQI Non-Discrimination Ordinance. 

On Tuesday the Denton City Council voted 5-2 to pass the NDO which prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on a person's race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Denton now joins with Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, and San Antonio in protecting all LGBTQI citizens. The state has tried in the past laws to invalidate local Ordinances but it remains to be seen if the Republican dominated legislature will be successful.

Violations of the NDO can be prosecuted as a Class C misdemeanor, which carries a maximum $500 fine per violation.

The city council approved the measure in a 5-to-2 vote, with Mayor Gerard Hudspeth and councilmember Jesse Davis being the only dissenting votes. KERA reports that Hudspeth is facing Denton Mayor Pro Tem Paul Meltzer in the May election for mayor,  Meltzer who currently holds Council seat 6 voted to pass the NDO, and is highly favored by all Denton progressives.

"It took YEARS to get this done, but it couldn't have come at a better time", wrote Amber Briggle, whose son Max is transgender. 

Previously, Gov. Gregg Abbott had illegally directed the Texas Child Protective Services to investigate parents of transgender children with the endgame of charging them with Child Abuse. Ambers's family was one of nine families CPS visited before a judge ruled against the visits temporarily stopping Abbott.

The following rulings which were challenged by Attorney General Ken Paxton affirmed that state persecution of trans families due to a child being transgender is unconstitutional.

Ken Paxton has asked the state Supreme Court to intervene to allow child abuse investigations into parents of transgender children. His request comes just days after a Texas appeals court reinstated a temporary injunction blocking the state's child welfare agency from investigating parents solely because they provide gender-affirming care to their children.


"Denton, Texas FINALLY passed a comprehensive LGBTQ non-discrimination ordinance last night." Amber Briggle wrote in a Facebook post. "Literally every person who spoke last night was in favor of the new law, because despite what the rest of the country thinks about Texas, there truly are big-hearted, kind people down here who love their neighbors. Even their queer ones."

"I've advocated for this publicly for years and for a long time, it seemed like this day would never come -- but thanks to the outstanding work of Pridenton and OUTreach Denton, the motion passed 5-2 and we can really say that "y'all means all" in Denton. They SHOWED UP and organized and rallied and spoke out, and they should be very very proud of themselves. (I know I am.)"

"Two thumbs down to Councilmember Davis who proposed an amendment (that failed) because he had "valid, non-bigoted reasons" to keep trans people (including my son, whom he knows personally) out of the bathroom. But HUGE LOVE to everyone who showed the hell up for LGBTQ folx last night because we needed that win, now more than ever," wrote Briggle.

3/7/22

Anti-trans TEXAS GOP candidate Jeff Younger protested at UNT

Anti-transgender TEXAS GOP candidate Jeff Younger protested at UNT

Virulently anti-transgender TEXAS GOP candidate Jeff Younger was protested at the University of North Texas Wednesday.

Students egged on by Younger who declared that trans people don't exist shouted him down with chants of "Fuck these fascists".

Younger is campaigning to be elected to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 63 for Flower Mound, Lewisville, and portions of Denton County on an anti-transgender platform.

Younger’s family first made headlines in 2019 when a Dallas County judge granted ex-wife Anne Georgulas, a pediatrician from Coppell, joint custody of the twins.

Judge Kim Cooks defied a jury’s earlier 11-1 verdict that awarded sole custody to Georgulas, declining to intervene in any parental decision over gender identity.

Judge Cooks was heavily critical of Younger at the time, stating he “finds comfort in public controversy and attention.”

 The judge accused Younger of being “motivated by financial gain” after the father raised $139,000 in crowdfunding proceeds.

However, Judge Cooks said she set aside the jury’s findings because the state “has no compelling interest to justify such interference” in requiring Younger to “affirm the child and honor the child’s choices.”

 The case dragged on for two more years until four months ago, when Dallas County District Judge Mary Brown granted most parental rights to Georgulas.

She granted supervised visits to Younger and barred the mother from beginning “hormonal suppression therapy, puberty blocks, and/or transgender reassignment surgery” without the father’s consent.

This comes as the state of Texas illegally began charging parents of transgender youth with child abuse. The facist govenor and his indicted State Attorny has shut down two of the state's gender afirmimg clinics for purly political reasons.

32,000 people have signed a petition calling on the state to cease terrorizing transgender families for political gain.

10/20/08

Equality Ride to Visit Three Texas Colleges

National Tour of Christian Colleges Advocates Safety for Gay and Transgender Students
******************************************
SOULFORCE PRESS RELEASE: October 20, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: Caitlin MacIntyre, Equality Ride Media Director
Cell: 612-715-6138
caitlin@equalityride.com
******************************************

(Dallas, TX) On October 24-29, the third annual Soulforce Equality Ride, a national bus tour to faith-based colleges, will bring a message of inclusion and safety to three area schools: Dallas Baptist University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, and Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie. The Equality Ride advocates safe educational settings for all students, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT).

The schools' responses to the Ride demonstrate the diversity of contemporary evangelical cultures. Dallas Baptist University (DBU) is collaborating with the Equality Ride to create a full day of dialogue with faculty, students, and administrators. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) has offered the Riders time to make a presentation about faith and fairness. In contrast, Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) has informed the Equality Riders that they are unwelcome on campus and has refused further communication.

The third annual Equality Ride comes to Texas at a moment when research suggests that young white evangelicals are diverging from previous generations on social justice issues. A September 2008 poll commissioned by Religion and Ethics Newsweekly found that 58% of 18-29 year old white evangelicals support some form of legal recognition of civil unions or marriage for same-sex couples; a quarter (26%) support the full right for same-sex couples to marry.

However, in spite of these indications that significant numbers of 18-29 year olds support equality, more than 200 U.S. colleges and universities have explicit policies that discriminate against LGBT students. The DBU student handbook expressly prohibits "student organizations which are homosexual/bisexual in nature." Southwest Baptist lists " homosexual behavior" as grounds for unspecified disciplinary action. The SAGU student handbook lists "homosexuality" and "lesbianism" as grounds for disciplinary action, including "termination from the university."

"It's very difficult to learn in an environment where you don't feel safe," said 22-year-old Jarrett Lucas, Co-director of the Equality Ride. "When students can be punished just because of who they are, it's very difficult for them to speak up about their quality of life on campus. That's where we come in. We can speak up for a community where everyone can learn without fear."

Since 2006, the Equality Ride has visited more than 50 schools, hosting public forums, participating in panel discussions, and taking part in worship services and Bible studies. The goal is to inspire further conversation and to empower students, faculty, and administrators to make their school welcoming to all students.

Equality Riders invite students at all three schools, as well as members of the Dallas/Fort Worth community, to a community gathering on Saturday the 25th at Reverchon Park in Dallas.
The young adult organizers of the Equality Ride use a collaborative approach, writing to college administrators months in advance and inviting them to work together to design programming that examines diverse points of view -- including points of view that affirm gay and transgender students.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF 10/20-10/26
Dallas Baptist University
Friday, October 24th, 2008
11:30 am, Press conference outside DBU
12:00 noon, Riders enter campus

DFW/Equality Ride Community Gathering
Saturday, October 25th, 2008
2:00 pm, at Reverchon Park in Dallas

Soulforce Q is the young adult division of Soulforce, a social justice organization that works to end political and religious oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people through relentless nonviolent resistance. For more information, go to www.equalityride.com.