Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is pictured. | Brandon Bell/Getty Images
A Texas judge on Friday ordered a statewide halt to a directive from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that called for abuse investigations into the use of gender-affirming care for transgender children, handing a major victory to civil rights organizations that sued to block the order this month.
The decision from Travis County District Judge Amy Clark Meachum arrived the week after the advocacy groups joined the family of a transgender girl to sue Abbott and the state’s child protection agency after the governor’s orders prompted scorn from medical groups, local prosecutors and the White House.
After an hours-long hearing, Meachum granted a temporary restraining order to stop any state abuse investigations and potential prosecutions based solely on child abuse allegations related to the provision of gender-affirming care for transgender children — until courts fully resolve the legal issues at stake.