Earlier this week, The Daily Citizen reported on the story of a seven-year-old Texas boy who is being transitioned into a girl against his fathers will.

After a national outcry and a viral Twitter hashtag #SaveJamesYounger that garnered tens of thousands of tweets, Texas lawmakers are taking a stand to protect James and other minors who may be subject to gender-transition therapy. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted, “FYI the matter of seven-year-old James Younger is being looked into by the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. #JamesYounger”

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas also responded on Twitter with a two-tweet thread. “This is horrifying & tragic. For a parent to subject such a young child to life-altering hormone blockers to medically transition their sex is nothing less than child abuse. A seven-year-old child doesn’t have the maturity to make profound decisions like this. The state of Texas should protect this child’s right to choose – as an informed, mature person – and not be used as a pawn in a left-wing political agenda. #ProtectJamesYounger” 

Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, something of a conservative folk hero, tweeted his outrage at the treatment of James Younger. “This is heartbreaking and sets a horrible precedent. A seven-year-old can’t possibly make this decision or understand it. Parents should know better. I hope this father receives the public support he needs. #ProtectJamesYounger” At publishing time, Rep. Crenshaw’s tweet had over 49,000 likes. 

Conservative firebrand Texas Rep. Chip Roy penned a letter to Attorney General Bill Barr, Director James Carroll of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Director Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health. On his Twitter profile announcing the letter, Rep. Roy wrote, “A seven-year-old shouldn’t be subjected to barbaric medical procedures because of an irresponsible adult.” 

Rep. Roy’s letter calls for a national study on the impact of gender-transition therapy on minors. “Many seven-year-olds think they can fly, they believe a fairy comes into their rooms at night to trade money for a lost tooth, and they often eat dirt. It is unthinkable that parents and medical professionals would act on the whimsy of a minor child to take life-changing, irreversible steps to alter his or her identity.”

The letter continued, “I urge you to conduct a federal study on individuals who undergo sex-reassignment surgery or hormone treatment before the age of 18.”

In addition, three Texas state lawmakers are planning on introducing a bill in the next Texas legislative session that would ban doctors from providing puberty blockers for minors under 18. 

Texas state Rep. Matt Krause tweeted, “Absent a special session between now & the 87th Session, I will introduce legislation that prohibits the use of puberty blockers in these situations for children under 18. We missed our opportunity to do so in the 86th Session. We won’t miss the next one. #SaveJamesYounger” 

Fellow state Rep. Jared Patterson replied, “I look forward to working with you on that!” A third state representative, Rep. Cody Harris also replied, “I will gladly co-author that bill, Matt.”

It is encouraging to see Texas lawmakers stepping up in a huge way as a result of this case. They deserve to be commended. One could see this as proof that God can turn something profoundly tragic into something good. There may yet be hope for James Younger.

 

Photo from SaveJames.com