Texas Department of Family and Protective Services leaders instructed employees to avoid written communications about the cases and barred low-level employees from handling the investigations, according to internal agency communications.
LGBTQ+ Texans
About 1.8 million Texans are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender — the second-highest such population for any U.S. State — according to the Public Policy Institute of California. In recent years, state officials and lawmakers have pursued legislation and policies that could dramatically affect LGBTQ+ Texans’ lives. Texas Tribune reporters are covering LGBTQ+ Texans’ lives and how these bills, laws and directives impact them.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
Biden signs order to protect transgender children as Texas continues efforts to restrict gender-affirming care
The executive order calls on the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to increase access to gender-affirming health care and develop ways to counter state efforts aimed at limiting such treatments for transgender minors.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
Judge temporarily blocks some Texas investigations into gender-affirming care for trans kids
The state has been investigating whether parents who provide access to gender-affirming health care are committing child abuse. The temporary restraining order is part of a lawsuit filed on behalf of three families and members of PFLAG, an LGBTQ advocacy group.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
More families of trans teens sue to stop Texas child abuse investigations
The ACLU and Lambda Legal filed the lawsuit on behalf of three families currently under investigation, as well as more than 600 Texas-based members of PFLAG, an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ families.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
Dallas facility that serves transgender children can accept new patients, judge rules
The clinic had stopped accepting new patients after increased political pressure.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
Texas resumes investigations into parents of trans children, families’ lawyers confirm
Lawyers representing families under investigation said they heard from the agency Thursday about continuing the investigations that had previously been halted by a statewide injunction.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
Texas Supreme Court allows child abuse investigations into families of transgender teens to continue
The high court also raised questions about why the state opened these investigations in the first place, noting that the child welfare agency is not bound by directives from the governor.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
Distraught over orders to investigate trans kids’ families, Texas child welfare workers are resigning
Other investigators don’t want to follow an order they believe harms families but worry about the impact of a mass employee exodus on the state’s most vulnerable children.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
Critics of Texas’ push for a “Don’t Say Gay” bill say acknowledging LGBTQ people isn’t the same as teaching kids about sex
Republicans say they don’t want young kids learning about sex. Educators say that’s already the standard.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
UT Austin will allow students to live together on campus regardless of gender or sexual identity
The two-year pilot program comes after at least 15 years of students asking for the change. It will allow UT-Austin students to live together in certain residence halls with students of any gender or sexual identity.