Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman Bo French is raising concerns about two online therapy companies that the City of Fort Worth advertises on its employee mental health benefits page.

“Our mission for the Healthy Challenge program is to support and empower employees, retirees, and their families to make healthier lifestyle choices,” the city’s mental health benefits page states.

Among the services and service providers listed are Talkspace and Brightline.

“At Talkspace, we believe that therapy is for all regardless of age, background, race, or sexual orientation. People who identify as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQIA+) community are unfortunately more likely to experience mental health conditions or face events that can seriously harm their mental health,” the company’s website states.

Talkspace offers hundreds of licensed professionals who cover a variety of topics, including sexuality and gender identity. It also offers “Teen Therapy,” which is “specialized therapy for ages 13-17 who may be exploring questions of gender identity.” The company also offers LGBTQ-centered counseling, couples therapy, and psychiatry.

“So, the City of Fort Worth is encouraging employees to use a service that works to transition 13-year-old children? The rot is much, much deeper than we thought,” French posted on X.

In a 2022 blog post, Brightline, the other company advertised on Fort Worth’s mental health benefits page, outlined its identity-focused coaching programs aimed at kids.

“One thing every child — OK, every human — has in common? We all have to figure out who we are and how we fit in this wild and confusing world. For kids and teens, this process can feel pretty overwhelming — and sometimes even lead to some challenging emotions and behavior. That’s especially true for kids and teens who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning), or TGNC (Transgender and Gender Noncomforming), given the unique experiences they face in navigating their identity,” the post states.

The blog goes on to claim that one cannot address emotions and behavior without addressing gender and sexual identity.

“Each and every one of our coaches is educated in LGBTQ+, TGNC, and BIPOC identity issues, and we’re all excited to share new skills that can help you and your family make it through the ups and downs of navigating identity,” continues the blog post.

Commenting on Fort Worth’s use of Brightline, French posted, “Yes, this service — which has a contract with the California government (if that tells you anything) — is actively promoting the gender transition of SIX-YEAR-OLD children. In case that wasn’t enough, they have articles on their website to help parents discuss sex and ‘racial justice’ with minors.”

The Dallas Express contacted the City of Fort Worth for comment but did not receive a response by publication.