Electronic Arts, Gearbox, and Microsoft speak out against anti-trans directive in Texas
Electronic Arts, Gearbox, and Microsoft are among 65 companies who have signed a letter calling on Texas governor Greg Abbott to abandon his «anti-LGBTQ+ efforts,» in particular a directive that calls for the state's Department of Family and Protective Services to classify medical treatments for transgender adolescents, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, as child abuse, and to «conduct a prompt and thorough investigation» of any reported incidents.
Abbott's directive, which followed a similar declaration from Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, sparked public outcry when it was made in February, and was condemned by the White House, which called it «dangerous to the health of kids in Texas and part of much larger trend of conservative officials cynically attacking LGBTQI+ youth to score political points.»
The letter calling on the state to abandon the directive, which ran today in the Dallas Morning News, was organized by Human Rights Campaign, which campaigns for equal rights for LGBTQ+ people, with particular focus on those «who are trans, people of color and HIV+.»
«The recent attempt to criminalize a parent for helping their transgender child access medically necessary, age-appropriate healthcare in the state of Texas goes against the values of our companies,» the letter states. «This policy creates fear for employees and their families, especially those with transgender children, who might now be faced with choosing to provide the best possible medical care for their children but risk having those children removed by child protective services for doing so. It is only one of several efforts discriminating against transgender youth that are advancing across the country.
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