Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American attorney who has served as the 48th governor of Texas since January 20, 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Abbott previously served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015. He is the third governor of any U.S. state to permanently use a wheelchair. He is also the first disabled governor in Texas history.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas and Lambda Legal have joined forces to file a lawsuit seeking to block a statewide directive enacted by Gov.
Greg Abbott’s ordering the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate parents and doctors who provide trans children with gender-affirming care.
Abbott’s order follows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s nonbinding opinion last month that providing access to sex reassignment surgery, puberty blockers, testosterone and estrogen treatments all constitute child abuse. “No family should have to fear being torn apart because they are supporting their trans child,” Adri Pérez, policy and advocacy strategist at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement.
Medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association have condemned state government efforts to restrict access to gender-affirming care for minors, saying it dangerously interferes with necessary medical care.