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.
BY ANDREA HONG MARRA AND RODRIGO HENG-LEHTINEN — In human rights movements, there are moments when the world seems to turn upside down, and advocates find themselves staring at a reality far harsher and more threatening than they seem equipped to combat.
For us, leaders of two organizations focused on protecting and advancing the rights of transgender people, one of those moments occurred on Feb.
21, 2022, when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a non-binding legal opinion that allowing transgender children to receive medically necessary care was tantamount to child abuse under state law.
Governor Greg Abbott piled on, urging citizens to report their suspicions of minors receiving this essential healthcare. Attacks on the rights of trans people — and especially trans children — were, of course, not new.