| Houston, Texas (March 10, 2022) — Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee joined dozens of elected attorneys, law enforcement officials, and legal professionals from across the country in filing an amicus brief supporting a challenge to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s recent directive requiring Texas’s child protective services agency to investigate and potentially criminalize parents who seek gender-affirming care for their children. “The actions taken by Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton exploit transgender children, positioning them as political pawns without regard for the negative effects on their physical and mental health,” said Menefee. “No family in Texas should have to live in fear that the state will remove their child from a safe and loving home for seeking gender-affirming care. The Attorney General’s legal ‘opinion’ is bogus, and our state leaders should stop playing politics with Texas families.” On February 22, the Harris County Attorney’s Office committed to following existing law and announced that they would not be investigating families solely on the basis of seeking gender-affirming care for their children. |