LGBTQ group sues to block Texas AG Paxton's request for records about transgender children

Texas News

LGBTQ group sues to block Texas AG Paxton's request for records about transgender children

KUT 90.5 | By Lauren McGaughy

Published February 29, 2024 at 4:36 PM CST

Some transgender Texans have raised concerns following a report that the Texas attorney general requested lists from the Department of Public Safety showing who had changed the gender on their driver's license over the past two years.

Updated with response from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

, a national organization for allies, has sued after it said he demanded information about the group鈥檚 work with transgender minors.

The group on Wednesday, and has asked the court to issue an injunction to allow them to withhold the information.

鈥淭his mean-spirited demand from the Attorney General鈥檚 Office is petty and invasive, which is why we want the court to put an end to it,鈥� PFLAG鈥檚 CEO Brian K. Bond said in a press release.

On Feb. 9, the attorney general鈥檚 office sent PFLAG what鈥檚 called a 鈥渃ivil investigative demand鈥� ordering it to turn over documents, including communications, meeting minutes and more, detailing interactions between the group and families with transgender children, .

More specifically, the suit said Paxton鈥檚 office wanted information about gender-affirming health care the children were receiving. The consumer protection division issued the demand, accusing PFLAG of violating the state law by 鈥渕isrepresenting鈥� gender-affirming care procedures.

Paxton, a staunchly conservative Republican who has worked to whittle down LGBTQ rights and called gender-affirming care for minors 鈥渃hild abuse,鈥� responded to the lawsuit in a press release on Thursday afternoon.

He accusing PFLAG of concealing information about Texans receiving gender-affirming care in violation of the state's ban on the procedures for minors. In another court case last year, Paxton said the group acknowledged "that it has consulted with persons about 'contingency plans, 'alternative avenues to maintain care in Texas,' and so-called 'affirming' general practitioners."

The nation鈥檚 largest health care organizations, including the and , support age-appropriate gender-affirming care treatments for minors. But the procedures have come under fire, and , in many GOP-controlled states.

Last year, to healthcare facilities that provided gender-affirming treatments to minors in Georgia and Washington.

Paxton has confirmed 鈥� 鈥� other demands made against companies accused of breaking consumer protection laws. Last year, into gender-affirming care for minors taking place at Dell Children鈥檚 Medical Center in Austin. The probe l its entire adolescent medicine clinic staff.

But Paxton has been less forthcoming about these more recent investigations he鈥檚 launched into the medical care of transgender youth.

The Texas Newsroom has requested copies of all the agency鈥檚 civil investigative demands three times this year, the latest on Feb. 19, which would have included the letter sent to PFLAG.

In response, Paxton鈥檚 agency withheld some of the demands, arguing they cannot be released because of a carve out in the public records law that allows information about 鈥渁nticipated litigation鈥� to be kept secret. It did not release a copy of the PFLAG demand.

PFLAG is embroiled in two other lawsuits with Paxton鈥檚 office.

One challenges the agency鈥檚 decision in 2022 to for child abuse, and the second seeks to block the state law prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors.