To help protect the safety of transgender children in Harris County, Commissioner Rodney Ellis on Tuesday will ask Commissioners Court to oppose Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate gender-affirming care as child abuse.

“Tomorrow at Harris County Commissioners Court, I’ll proudly introduce a resolution in solidarity with our transgender youth and affirm our commitment to protecting our children and standing up to state officials,” Commissioner Ellis said. “I want to reassure LGBTQIA+ individuals and their families that they are a valued part of our community and that we won’t sit idly by while state officials weaponize their bias against transgender youth seeking medical care.”

Gov. Abbott’s directive was issued last month just days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s nonbinding legal opinion that says gender-affirming surgical procedures in children and prescribing drugs that affect puberty are considered "child abuse." Some Texas families already are facing child abuse investigations for providing gender-affirming care to their transgender children.

“The Governor’s and AG’s actions harm families and our state’s reputation,” Commissioner Ellis said. “The Human Rights Campaign, along with more than 60 companies — including Google, Apple and Johnson & Johnson — took out a full-page ad in the Dallas Morning News calling the decision ‘bad for business,’ “

Commissioner Ellis said it is likely to be a record year for anti-trans legislation in the United States. The Human Rights Campaign lists almost 300 existing or forthcoming bills in American statehouses, up from 147 last year and 79 in 2020.

“Transgender children already face greater risks without government attacks,” Commissioner Ellis said. “In Harris County, we stand with transgender children and their families.”