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ruling, Meachum said the PFLAG families have demonstrated a likelihood that they will suffer “probably, imminent, and irreparable injury” if the state Department of Family and Protective Services is allowed to continue with its investigations into transgender youth receiving doctor-recommended medical care and their parents.Some of that harm includes potentially having transgender youth taken out of their parents’ custody and placed into foster care, as well as the parents potentially facing criminal charges and penalties. Meachum also found that DFPS did not begin investigating gender-affirming care as child abuse until after Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order directing the agency to investigate parents who have allowed their children to receive transition-related care, including puberty blockers, which delay the onset of secondary sex characteristics.Abbott based that order on an opinion issued by Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who stated that that all the forms of surgical and hormonal interventions for transgender youth constitute “abuse,” and violate minors’ fundamental right to procreation by subjecting them to treatments that can potentially cause sterilization.Although DFPS began investigating several families with transgender children following Abbott’s directive, the Texas Supreme Court later found, in a partial victory for a group of transgender plaintiffs and advocates, that the governor had overstepped his authority.

temporary injunction blocking Paxton’s office from demanding the information, writing that “immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result to PFLAG and its members” if Paxton’s office is able to obtain information about the group’s members, which number close to 600 in Texas alone. Under the terms of the restraining order, Paxton’s office may not attempt to stop PFLAG from operating for refusing to hand over documents and identifying information about its members, especially those who may have reached out to the national pro-LGBTQ advocacy group to determine how to seek gender-affirming care out of state.Paxton’s office may also not demand information from PFLAG revealing the identities of its members, officers, employees, lawyers, volunteers, or donors.Paxton’s office claimed their demand for PFLAG documents, issued in early February, was part of an effort to investigate whether medical providers were violating Texas’s law banning them from prescribing gender-affirming treatments like puberty blockers and hormones to minors.PFLAG filed a lawsuit last month asking for a temporary restraining order and relief to protect the identities and privacy of its members.

In a recent update, it has been announced that the Parramatta Pride Picnic 2020 has been cancelled. In a post, ACON announced that “Due to the ongoing situation around COVID-19, we regret to announce this year’s Parramatta Pride Picnic has been cancelled.”The statement goes on to say, “We regret the cancellation of this much-loved community event but the safety and welfare of attendees is our top priority.”According to the New South Wales government website, the restrictions around outdoor

ruled in favor of Grimm in 2019, finding that transgender individuals are protected by Title IX, as well as by the U.S. Constitution.Judge Henry Floyd, writing on behalf of the 4th Circuit, said that the school board’s actions constituted “a special kind of discrimination against a child that he will no doubt carry with him for life.”Floyd noted in his majority opinion that the restroom policy had an adverse affect on Grimm, who avoided using the restroom at school as much as possible.

Transgender flags – Photo: Ted Eytan, via Flickr.