Texas: Performing Trans Surgery On Children Is Child Abuse, DFPS Outlines Which Surgeries Are Medically Necessary
Texas Governor Greg Abbott blasted transgender surgery saying that putting children through such operation is abuse.
The comment from the Republican governor came after a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) found that “performing or forcing” transgender surgery on children is a form of child abuse.
Governor Abbott has earlier urged the state DFPS to investigate the issue as debates over gender reassignment intensifies.
“Genital mutilation of a child through reassignment surgery is child abuse, subject to all rules and procedures pertaining to child abuse,” a letter from DFPS Commissioner Jaime Masters on Wednesday said.
“Such mutilation may cause a ‘genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child’ [according to Texas law],” it added.
Masters continued: “This surgical procedure physically alters a child’s genitalia for non-medical purposes potentially inflicting irreversible harm to children’s bodies. Generally, children in the care and custody of a parent lack the legal capacity to consent to surgical treatments, making them more vulnerable.”
The Texas DFPS chief then outlined certain circumstances in which surgery on a child’s genitalia may be medically necessary but not constitute abuse.
“It may be warranted for the following conditions including, but not limited to, a child whose body parts have been affected by illness or trauma; who is born with a medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development, such as the presence of both ovarian and testicular tissue; or who does not have the normal sex chromosome structure for male or female as determined through genetic testing,” Masters said.
She went on to note that under Texas law, professionals such as teachers, doctors, and daycare workers are required to report suspected cases of child abuse to the state “within 48-hours after the professional first suspects the abuse.”
“Failure to report is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $4,000, or both,” Masters said in the letter. “If it is shown that the professional intentionally concealed the abuse, then the offense is a state jail felony.”
Following Master’s announcement of the findings, Governor Abbott said “the determination and subsequent enforcement of Commissioner Masters’ conclusions are effective immediately.”
"Genital mutilation of a child through reassignment surgery is child abuse…" – Commissioner Jaime Masters, @TexasDFPS
The determination and subsequent enforcement of Commissioner Masters' conclusions are effective immediately.https://t.co/EVLp44zi41 pic.twitter.com/HSTc9T9hQA
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 11, 2021
“Subjecting a child to genital mutilation through reassignment surgery creates a ‘genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child,’” Abbott said in a statement.
“This broad definition of ‘abuse’ should cover a surgical procedure that will sterilize the child, such as orchiectomy or hysterectomy, or remove otherwise healthy body parts, such as penectomy or mastectomy,” he added.
The Republican governor continued: “Indeed, Texas already outlaws female genital mutilation of a child, and presumably that also constitutes child abuse.”
Abbott’s efforts to prohibit transgender surgery on minors coincides with similar initiatives across the United States.
In March, Democratic state Rep. Cezar McKnight introduced legislation in South Carolina prohibiting children from receiving transgender surgery or medication for transitioning. Anyone found in breach of the proposed law faces a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Earlier in June, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said he would sign a bill prohibiting minors from gender reassignment surgeries.
Last March, the Alabama State Senate voted to make giving kids puberty-blockers, hormone therapy, or gender reassignment surgery a felony.
In contrast, Dr. Rachel Levine, Joe Biden’s nominee for Assistant Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is promoting the use of puberty blockers and gender reassignment of minors saying this a “safeguard” against suicide and mental health issues of gender-confused minors.
A new study has found that #Transgender youth with access to a puberty blocker have decline in chances of suicide + #mentalhealth problems now and in the future. This study is important because it's the first to show this specific association. https://t.co/axYncR0m4l
— Dr. Rachel Levine (@SecretaryLevine) January 24, 2020
_______________________________________________
Download ‘The Scoop TV’ video streaming app, the Conservative Alternative to Netflix!
- If you have an iPhone, click here to download the iPhone app from the Apple App Store.
- Or if you have an Android phone, click here to download the Android app from the Google Play Store
