On Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) declared that conducting sex assignment surgeries on children is considered a form of child abuse.
According to Faithwire, Abbott made the announcement after receiving a report from Jaime Masters, the commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, declaring that such procedures are abusive to children. The report was given after Abbott requested Masters determine "whether genital mutilation of a child for purposes of gender transitioning through reassignment surgery constitutes child abuse."
"Genital mutilation of a child through reassignment surgery is child abuse," Masters stated in the report. "This surgical procedure physically alters a child's genitalia for non-medical purposes potentially inflicting irreversible harm to children's bodies."
"Generally, children in the care and custody of a parent lack the legal capacity to consent to surgical treatments, making them more vulnerable," she added.
The report asserts that failure to report suspected abuse in 48-hours could result in a Class A misdemeanor, which may lead to 1 year in jail and/or a fine of up to $4,000.
Masters asserted that intentional concealment of the abuse would be considered a state jail felony.
"Finally, allegations involving genital mutilation of a child through reassignment surgery will be promptly and thoroughly investigated, and any appropriate actions will be taken," she asserted.
Masters did, however, offer a few exceptions, listing several instances for when it would be acceptable for a child to undergo such procedures.
"It may be warranted for the following conditions, including but not limited to, a child whose body parts have been affected by illness or trauma; who is born with a medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development, such as the presence of both ovarian and testicular tissue; or who does not have the normal sex chromosome structure for male or female, as determined through genetic testing," the commissioner wrote.
In a tweet, Abbott asserted that "The determination and subsequent enforcement of Commissioner Masters' conclusions are effective immediately."
"Genital mutilation of a child through reassignment surgery is child abuse..." - Commissioner Jaime Masters, @TexasDFPS
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 11, 2021
The determination and subsequent enforcement of Commissioner Masters' conclusions are effective immediately.https://t.co/EVLp44zi41 pic.twitter.com/HSTc9T9hQA
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Vladimir Vladimirov
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
