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Dozens gather to protest Gov. Abbott's arrival in Corpus Christi

The group was protesting Abbott's directive to DFPS that says gender-affirming care for transgender children is child abuse.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Several people took to downtown Corpus Christi Tuesday to protest Governor Greg Abbott's appearance at the Texas State Aquarium and his new directive that said parents of transgender children should be investigated for child abuse for giving their child gender-affirming care. 

As the governor arrived in Corpus Corpus, dozens of organizers gathered on Ocean Drive with signs protesting the new directive.

The protest was organized by the National Association of Social Workers of the Coastal Bend who said they want Abbott to know transgender people have a right to do what they want with their own bodies.

"As a Latina transgender woman, I feel that this individual has no autonomy over my body or other trans people within Texas and across the nation in fact," one protestor said. "We should be able to decide on what we do as far as Medicare, medical assistance- so I hope he's voted out of office, to be honest. I voted today, voted for the Democratic party. I just hope the youth are protected."

The group wants to government to acknowledge that trans people are people and have rights. They also hope to bring attention to the needs of the trans community. 

The state of Texas is investigating a family for child abuse after the parents obtained gender-affirming care for their 16-year-old transgender daughter. It’s believed to be among the first of these probes since the governor directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to target such care a week ago. 

The child’s mother — a DFPS employee who reviews cases of abuse and neglect — has been placed on leave after asking for clarification from her supervisor about the recent executive branch orders.

The investigation came to light on Tuesday — the day of the Texas primary elections — in a lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal filed in Austin on the family’s behalf to block investigations of families seeking such medical care for their children.

The suit names both Gov. Greg Abbott and the Department of Family and Protective Services as defendants.

“No family should have to fear being torn apart because they are supporting their trans child,” Adri Pérez, a policy and advocacy strategist at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement. “A week before an election, Gov. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a partisan political attack that isn’t rooted in the needs of families, the evidence from doctors and the expertise from child welfare professionals.”

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