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.
Justice Department reminds states of federal protections for trans youth
Today (Thursday, March 31), on International Transgender Day of Visibility, the U.S. Justice Department issued a letter to all state attorneys general to remind them of federal constitutional and statutory provisions protecting transgender youth from discrimination, including when those youth seek gender-affirming care.
The “reminder” comes just a little more than a month after Texas AG Ken Paxton issued his non-binding opinion saying that gender-affirming health care for transgender children is child abuse, and Gov.
Greg Abbott used that opinion as the basis for a directive ordering the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services to launch child abuse investigations into parents and medical professionals providing gender-affirming health care to transgender children under 18.
Paxton’s opinion carries no weight of law and has been discredited by legal experts. And a lawsuit has been filed challenging the legality of Abbott’s directive.
