AUSTIN – Attorney General Paxton joined an Arkansas-led amicus brief filed in the Atlanta-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit supporting Alabama’s appeal of the district court’s injunction of the state’s Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act. The Act, which the brief sets out to defend, prohibits the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgery to medically “transition” children and adolescents.
“The
Amici States . . . are concerned by the surge of gender-related
psychological issues among adolescents (especially girls) and the rush
by practitioners to supply vulnerable young people with life-altering
drugs and procedures,” the brief states. “Indeed, at many facilities,
hormones are provided on demand to children who say they are
transgender, without any psychological assessment. Alabama’s legislation
is a commonsense response to this troubling surge in unnecessary
intervention.”
Attorney General Paxton launched an investigation in December 2021 into pharmaceutical companies under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act for allegedly advertising and promoting puberty blockers for unapproved uses without disclosing to children and their parents the potential risks associated with these drugs. He also concluded in February 2022 that the kinds of procedures at issue in Alabama can constitute “abuse” under the Texas Family Code.
To read the amicus brief click here.
