A Texas judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the state from investigating families of transgender children who received gender-confirming medical care that the state categorized as child abuse.
Travis County District Court Judge Jan Soifer’s ruling prevents investigations against three families who filed lawsuits, as well as questioning members of the LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG Inc.
“I do find that there is sufficient reason to believe that the plaintiffs will suffer immediate and irreparable injury if the commissioner and the (Department of Family and Protective Services) are allowed to continue to implement and enforce this new Department rule that equates gender-affirming care with child abuse,” Soifer said at the end of the virtual court hearing.
The judge stated that the measure was necessary because families and members of PFLAG could “suffer immediate and irreparable injury.”
Such injuries include invasions of privacy, fear, trauma, depression, self-harm or suicide.
As CBN’s Faithwire reported last August, Gov. Abbott announced that performing sex reassignment surgeries on minors is a form of child abuse after receiving a report from Jaime Masters, commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Abbott also ordered state child welfare officials to investigate reports of transgender children receiving gender-affirming treatment.
The lawsuit was filed by Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the families of three teenage boys ages 16 and 14.
A hearing was set for June 21, in which the judge may decide to extend the temporary injunction.
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