Gender

A new Texas law would stop transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming medical care. Texas doctors said this is already hurting their work and their patients.

For one Round Rock teen, getting accepted to Harvard was her ticket out of a state that she says is hostile to trans youth. Now Texas will ensure young people like her no longer have access to gender-affirming care.

Dr. Ximena Lopez, a pediatric endocrinologist in Dallas, has been at the forefront of gender-affirming medical care for trans youth in Texas for the past 10 years. Now, as the state prepares to ban this care for minors, Lopez announced she’s closing her practice and moving to California.

The measure now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for his signature. The ACLU of Texas has already vowed to sue.

The bill cleared the GOP-controlled Legislature after a final vote in the Senate over the objections of Democrats. Texas is now poised to join at least 17 other states that have enacted similar bans.

Gender-affirming health care is a large focus of this year’s legislative session, with bills like SB 14 that would ban care for minors in the state and penalize doctors offering this care. Families, trans youth and advocates share how it’s felt to live in Texas during this moment of uncertainty.

The film stars a transgender woman and explores the consequences of strict gender roles in Pakistani society

Under a new dress code issued by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, department employees are expected to comply "in a manner consistent with their biological gender."

Other legislation this session has targeted school library books, which are optional reading materials, but House Bill 1804 might be the first to go after textbooks that teachers use for their lessons.

If Senate Bill 14 were to become law, gender-affirming care practices for people under 18 years old would be banned in the state of Texas. This is the second proposal targeting transgender people to receive full approval from the Texas Senate this week.

The Texas legislature heard public testimony for the first time Thursday on a bill addressing gender-affirming care in the state.