A group of organizations that support child sex alteration surgery has announced a grant-making initiative to provide funds for children and families seeking to circumvent Texas’ ban on such procedures.
A joint statement provided by the Campaign for Southern Equality, Equality Texas, and the Transgender Education Network of Texas announced a new program for Texas children who identify as a gender that does not match their biological sex.
Following the passage of Senate Bill 14, which bans child sex alteration surgeries and transgender hormone usage, the organizations established the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project (STYEP).
“Families of transgender youth in Texas are now eligible to apply for support,” the organization’s statement read. “The project helps transgender youth whose access to gender-affirming care has been disrupted by government policies.”
“Through STYEP, families can receive accurate information about SB14; patient navigation to identify out-of-state gender-affirming care providers; and emergency grants of $500 for immediate needs, including travel, medication, and other logistics,” the organizations explained.
Ricardo Martinez, the executive director of Equality Texas, said, “The LGBTQ+ community fought our hardest this legislative session against SB14, and we’re continuing the fight in the courts, where we believe SB14 should be blocked and found unconstitutional.”
“We must pursue every pathway to justice and safety for transgender youth and their families. That’s why we are honored to partner on this project to give Texas families options to continue their child’s care,” he continued.
“No one should be forced to leave Texas to access fundamental healthcare. We know that if we support each other, we can overcome oppressive laws and support young people who are being bullied by the state,” Martinez said.
Similarly, Allison Scott, the director of impact & innovation at the Campaign for Southern Equality, explained, “We hope to see SB14 blocked from ever taking effect –- but we also must be clear-eyed about the political reality we are facing, and families of trans youth across Texas have already faced so many wrenching decisions.”
“We’re honored to be working with Equality Texas and Transgender Education Network of Texas to connect families with funding and provider information to preserve continuity of care for as many people as we can,” Scott continued. “No law can stop the transgender community from charting our paths to thriving and living authentically –- our community will make sure of that.”
Furthermore, the ACLU and other related organizations have sued Texas to stop the implementation of the child sex alteration surgery ban, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Conversely, the Texas Family Project has denounced the opposition to the ban, urging that the law would protect children from irreversible surgeries and harmful injections.
“In a move that raises numerous concerns, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is challenging SB14, paving the way for practices that many fear endanger our children’s safety,” the organization said in a statement provided to The Dallas Express.
“Central to this heated debate is the unnerving concept of ‘chemical castration’. This procedure, typically reserved for adult offenders or severe psychiatric cases, involves the use of hormone-suppressing medication,” the Texas Family Project statement read.
“Alarmingly, this controversial treatment is now part of the discourse surrounding minors. Many rightly question the ethics of subjecting children to such drastic, irreversible interventions.”
Referring to transgender surgeries, the group explained, “This inhumane practice, condemned globally, involves unnecessary alterations or injuries to the female and male genitalia and other body parts.”
“We must confront the possibility that these interventions could inflict severe physical and psychological harm on children, our most vulnerable population,” the statement urged.
“The ACLU’s lawsuit and its potential implications represent a grave concern. As responsible citizens, it is our duty to scrutinize these actions and speak out against any practices that put our children’s safety at risk. The welfare of our children must be the guiding principle in all decisions affecting them,” the group concluded.