In response to a recently published documentary on a multi-state investigation by Project Veritas, a Texas lawmaker is calling on the Legislature to end child gender mutilation once and for all.
Project Veritas’ investigation exposed healthcare workers with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health for encouraging and providing gender mutilation surgeries and cross-sex hormones to children across the country.
One of these workers was Nora Scott, a licensed social worker at a Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas.
“We do have patients who are starting [to transition] as young as 8 or 9. So, we do have folks on the younger side,” Scott told the undercover interviewer.
“We take a few different types of patients, and there is not a waitlist currently for our gender patients,” Scott continued. “So, you could get scheduled more quickly than some of our other types of patients right now for those [puberty blockers].”
A few appointments may be required to figure out if puberty blockers should be used, but often it is found appropriate to prescribe puberty blockers after one appointment, Scott explained to the interviewer.
“It’s not something that we want to gatekeep and require someone to come see us ten times before it’s prescribed,” said Scott.
Scott offered the interviewer a list of “gender-affirming” therapists, but she went on to explain it’s not required to see a therapist before being seen at DCMC.
On the other hand, Scott said, for older patients, it is a requirement if they want to obtain a “formal surgery.” According to Scott, in order to obtain gender-mutilating surgeries, children will need a reference letter from one of their “gender-affirming” therapists.
Following the release of the documentary, Texas State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R–Deer Park) posted a response to the footage on Twitter:
“If this issue is not properly resolved by the Texas legislature by December 31 of this year, my party will have failed to protect young Texans from those who seek to profit of off harming them. They’re not old enough to buy a cigar, but…”
Indeed, ending child gender mutilation is a priority of the Republican Party of Texas for the 88th Legislative Session.
Legislation to end child gender mutilation has been filed in both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate.
The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 14 by State Sen. Donna Campbell (R–New Braunfels) earlier this month. It would protect children from being chemically castrated by puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, and from receiving these mutilative surgeries to “transition” them. It has now been reported favorably to the House Calendars Committee for consideration by the House.
State Rep. Tom Oliverson’s (R–Cypress) House Bill 1686—the companion bill to SB 14—was also reported to the House Calendars Committee for consideration on the floor.
The 88th Legislative Session ends May 29.