Attorney General Ken Paxton is continuing his legal fight against a rule proposed by the former Biden administration that would redefine “gender dysphoria” as an officially recognized disability.
The rule, which Paxton argues is based on an unlawful interpretation of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, would require all federal funding recipients, including public schools and healthcare providers, to base bathroom access, pronoun use, and even dress codes on “gender identity” rather than biological sex, according to Paxton’s office.
If upheld, the rule could open the door for the federal government to withhold funding for disability services, public schools, and Medicaid programs in Texas if the state does not comply with its woke agenda, according to a February 18 press release from Paxton’s office.
“This Biden-era rule, if allowed to move forward, would put those who are served by Medicaid, disability programs, and children in Texas schools at significant risk,” Paxton explained in the press release.
“The lawsuit is currently paused while the Trump Administration reconsiders the rule. The next step is ensuring that the rule is permanently stopped, that biological boys are not allowed in girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms, and that the Rehabilitation Act cannot be unconstitutionally misused to take funding away for vital services, including disability programs,” Paxton added.
“Despite a misinformation campaign, Texans should know that from the very beginning, this lawsuit has not sought to take away the protections for anyone currently covered under the Rehabilitation Act, but to protect them from federal attempts to strip their funding due to any refusal by Texas to abide by a ‘gender-identity’ mandate,” Paxton concluded.