Texas to investigate 'abusive' sex change surgeries performed on minors as 'child abuse'

The state of Texas is planning to investigate and possibly prosecute some child sex-reassignment surgeries as child abuse.

Last week, GOP Gov. Greg Abbott wrote a letter to the state's Department of Family and Protective Services instructing the agency to investigate some "so-called 'sex change' procedures" that have been found to "constitute child abuse under existing Texas law."  

According to Texas law, it is already illegal to "subject Texas children to a wide variety of elective procedures for gender transitioning, including reassignment surgeries that can cause sterilization, mastectomies, removals of otherwise healthy body parts, and administration of puberty-blocking drugs or supraphysiologic doses of testosterone or estrogen," wrote Abbott.

The governor also said Texas has "reporting requirements" for licensed professionals who have had "direct contact with children who may be subject to such abuse," including doctors, nurses, and teachers.

"There are potential criminal penalties should a member of one of those groups fail to report such abuse. In the letter, Abbott writes "There are similar reporting requirements and criminal penalties for members of the general public."

The law requires the state agency investigate the parent or parents of a child who is "subjected to these abusive gender-transitioning procedures," writes Abbott, citing a recent ruling by the state Attorney General Ken Paxton, which states that some transgender operations performed on children constitute abuse.

Jaime Masters, the agency's commissioner, wrote that "Genital mutilation of a child through reassignment surgery is child abuse," and according to Texas law may cause a "genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child."

"This surgical procedure physically alters a child’s genitalia for non-medical purposes potentially inflicting irreversible harm to children’s bodies. Generally, children in the care and custody of a parent lack the legal capacity to consent to surgical treatments, making them more vulnerable," he also wrote.