Victoria Simmons
Staff Writer
The most recent statewide anti-trans directive sent out by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says gender-affirming care should be considered “child abuse.” Abbott wants Texas residents to report families who provide gender-affirming care for their children.
This directive is just one part of the anti-trans rhetoric Abbott has used against the transgender community in Texas.
With these blatant attacks, it’s important people understand how to support the LGBTQ+ community on and off-campus, said Coalition president Brandan Salazar.
“He’s putting his big chef spoon into a pot that doesn’t need to be put into,” Salazar said.
Salazar said Abbott is putting his hand in places it has no business being in.
“Especially in Texas, a lot of people who are a part of the trans community feel unwelcome because of Greg Abbott’s actions,” Salazar said.
The LGBT community makes up 4.1% of the Texas population, and the population of the LGBT community living in San Antonio is 4%. These numbers are high in comparison to the rest of the nation.
Salazar said when Abbott uses language like “child abuse” to describe gender-affirming care it’s used to get a “rile” out of people. He said it pushes people to think gender-affirming care is wrong.
Though Abbott claims gender-affirming care is abusive, medical professionals find it to be the best way to care for trans children.
Gender-affirming care does not just deal with physical attributes, it aids in the mental healthcare of transgender children.
Transgender youth are finding it difficult to have autonomy over their bodies and recent politics have not made it easier, according to a survey conducted by the Trevor Project. 94% of young LGBT community members find today’s politics has taken a toll on their mental health.
Though the state of Texas has been the face of the anti-trans directive, other states have also adopted similar restrictions. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has also pursued legislation that prevents medical professionals from aiding transgender youth in transition.
Not only are people in the transgender community being put under a microscope, but rather the LGBT community as a whole. Just a month after Abbott’s anti-trans directive, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into legislation the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in April.
DeSantis’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill inhibits conversations about the LGBT community in educational spaces. Texas, along with other states like Ohio and Louisiana, is said to follow suit in enacting this into their legislation.
A&M-San Antonio LGBT students can find support on campus through the student and faculty-led organizations, The Coalition and Rainbow P.A.W.S.For additional resources click here.
