In December, advocates and allies spoke before the Department of Family and Protective Services for the fourth time since an illegal directive from Gov. Greg Abbott directed the department to investigate parents who provide health care to their trans children. The chilling effect of this directive led some practitioners to stop providing health care to trans youth.
Unfortunately, cutting off access to life-saving healthcare is nothing new for the LGBTQ+ community. When the AIDS crisis was raging in the US, wild theories arose, stereotypes and stigmas were widespread, and the weak government response had tragic consequences. To this day, Bexar County is still plagued by the remnants of those missteps.
The LGBTQ+ community has long struggled with government-imposed barriers to health care, but the tactics we’re seeing today are new. Transgender people have a host of medical needs that are unique and medical associations have
established best practices
ensuring results that meet patient needs. However, our state government has been determined to interfere in private medical decisions.
Last February,
Abbott issued a directive
about sex-change procedures that prompted the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents of trans children for child abuse. Their violation: prioritizing the health and well-being of their children by working with medical experts to provide best practice care for their children.
It’s forgivable not to understand how to care for transgender children. Few lawmakers in the Capitol have the medical expertise to understand the issues, but they are determined to undermine the doctors and families who know their children best.
Regardless of one
decision by the Texas Supreme Court
that said the governor’s directive lacked legal authority, many doctors and medical centers have been afraid to turn away new transgender patients. Some have discontinued youth-focused care altogether.
The community of San Antonio in particular has been painfully affected by this chilling effect. To our knowledge, there are no health care providers in San Antonio that openly offer comprehensive health care to meet the needs of trans youth, which is prompting Bexar County residents to seek care in Austin or through telehealth. Few can afford the time and expense to seek medical treatment elsewhere, which is likely to leave many young people without the lifesaving care they desperately need.
More than half of all trans and non-binary youth
have seriously considered suicide
in the past year, according to the Trevor Project. Yet we know that inclusive health care for trans youth
can dramatically reduce suicides and depression.
So when we say this care is lifesaving, we are not exaggerating.
Texans deserve a home where every child is protected and every family is respected. Families left in Texas are holding their breath, waiting to see what the Legislature will do. Many are making escape plans if things go wrong.
In the midst of the AIDS crisis, treatment was unavailable and the government failed to listen to the community. Today, health care for trans youth is available, and medical associations have established practices to ensure the highest standard of care. Decisions made at the top will determine who lives or dies. Will we repeat the same mistakes or learn from our past?
Sofia Sepulveda is the manager of community engagement and advocacy at Equality Texas, and a longtime San Antonio resident and activist. Ricardo Martinez is the CEO of Equality Texas, the largest nonprofit organization in Texas working toward full equality for LGBTQ+ people.
