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.
New Suit Filed to Stop Texas Probes of Trans-Supportive Families
Pictured: Adam and Amber Briggle with their son MaxAnother lawsuit has been filed in hopes of stopping the investigations of transgender-supportive families in Texas.Adam and Amber Briggle, parents of a trans son, two other families identified by pseudonyms, and PFLAG filed the suit Wednesday in the District Court of Travis County, Texas.
The pseudonymous families include one in which a trans teen attempted suicide as a result of Gov. Greg Abbott ordering the investigations.
They are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and its Texas affiliate, Lambda Legal, and the Texas-based law firm Baker Botts LLP.The plaintiffs seek to block any probes of their families, PFLAG families, and others under Abbott’s order that characterized gender-affirming health care as child abuse and directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents who allowed their children to receive such care.
They also seek to have the order declared invalid, saying it violates Texas law and the state’s constitution. The suit names Abbott as a defendant, along with the DFPS and its commissioner, Jaime Masters.“Defendants have trampled on the constitutional and statutory rights of transgender children and their parents,” the lawsuit states. “The Defendants have, without constitutional or statutory authority, acted to create a new definition of ‘child abuse’ that singles out a subset of loving parents for scrutiny, investigation, and potential family separation.
