Lubbock DJ Supports Trans Youth, Abbott Wants Parents in Jail

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I already wasn't a fan of Greg Abbott, but this latest ordeal has angered me more than anything he's done in the past.

If you're unaware, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a letter on Tuesday, February 22nd that he wants the Department of Family and Protective Services to conduct child abuse investigations on families or medical professionals from any reported instances of minors undergoing gender transitioning. He even wants you to face punishment if you're aware of a child transitioning and don't report it.

So if your child is experiencing gender dysphoria and has expressed that they would feel more themselves through gender reassignment and you help them transition, Greg Abbott wants you in jail.

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Imagine this: you're a kid and you have felt for a long time that you were born into the wrong body, that you're not who you should be. You express these difficult thoughts with your parents and luckily, they're very supportive. You see a therapist, see a doctor, and begin your journey to feeling like the real you. Then, your parents get arrested for child abuse because they helped you.

Jenny Lawson, author of The Bloggess and parent to a non-binary child, said this: "It's chilling. It's terrifying for kids who now fear that their parents might be taken away from them and jailed if they support them. It’s terrifying for parents who fear that caring for their trans children will result in them losing their children."

Now, I have some hot takes when it comes to transitioning, but hear me out.

It's definitely become more popular the more people share their experiences, and for some it may be a trend. I know from personal experience that some people don't like themselves in general, and sometimes they'll try to fix that self-hatred through transitioning. Maybe that's why they don't like themselves? Sometimes it doesn't work out, though, and they'll regret it. That's OK.

This does not cancel out the people that really need to transition.

Puberty sucks, and it sucks super hard for trans folks. The effects of puberty are irreversible and it's so much harder to pass for adults that have just begun transitioning. I know people who took puberty blockers when they were young and it's amazing how much happier they are now that they're in a body that they're comfortable with.

And Greg, parents are not forcing their kids to transition. If they are, then yes, they should be locked up, but that's not how the process works.

Thankfully, district attorneys around the state are openly opposing Gov. Abbott's call, saying they will not be treating gender-affirming procedures for youth as child abuse. Maybe this state isn't beyond salvaging after all.

I hope Gov. Abbott backtracks on this, because it's actually evil. Completely irrational. Delusional, even.