A Texas judge issued a temporary injunction preventing state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, from mandating that an LGBTQ+ advocacy group disclose information regarding transgender youngsters undergoing gender transition therapy.
The verdict on Friday followed a legal challenge by PFLAG National against Paxton’s office to stop it from gathering the information.
Judge Maria Cantú Hexsel of Travis County District Court stated that disclosing the information would negatively impact PFLAG and its members by infringing on their rights to free speech, association, and protection from unwarranted searches.
The judge deemed it a severe violation of privacy to compel the nonprofit to provide the information to Paxton.
A hearing was set for March 25 to give Paxton’s office a chance to argue against keeping Friday’s order in place.
Last month, Paxton’s office requested “documents and communications” related to PFLAG CEO Brian Bond’s court testimony from last year, where he mentioned members were making contingency plans due to a state ban on gender transition treatment for children.
The attorney general’s office stated on Thursday that the information is crucial for investigations into potential insurance fraud by medical providers trying to circumvent the prohibition.
The American Civil Liberties Union, defending FPLAG in court, stated that it will pursue a permanent injunction against Paxton’s request to ensure that PFLAG may continue providing support to its Texas members with transgender adolescents, allowing them to care for their children as all loving parents do.
PFLAG and Texas have engaged in legal disputes, notably in 2022 when the state implemented a policy to examine cases of gender transition treatment for children as potential examples of child abuse.
(This news report is from a syndicated feed. THND team members did not write or edit the content except for the headline.)
