The Briggle family from Texas at the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards
Amber Briggle is one of Texas’ — and really, the U.S.’s — most well-known “mama bears.” She is a fierce advocate not just for her trans son, Max, but for all transgender people — children and adults alike. In 2016, she and her family hosted Texas’ rabidly anti-LGBTQ attorney general, Ken Paxton, and his wife (now a Texas state senator) Angela for dinner in hopes that they would see that their family is really no different than any other, and Max is just your average boy.
The battle, however, continues. In fact, it has probably escalated. In February, Ken Paxton issues an “opinion” declaring that providing gender-affirming health care for trans children is child abuse, and Gov. Greg Abbott used that non-binding and now-widely-discredited opinion to issue a directive order the Department of Family and Protective Services to begin abuse investigations into every family providing access to such care for their trans child.
That includes Amber Briggle’s family.
Fortunately, at least for now, a court-issued injunction has stopped those investigations. But that most definitely does not mean the danger has passed.
Last weekend, Amber Briggle spoke onstage at the GLAAD Media Awards about her family and about Paxton’s visit and his latest act of transphobic hate. She has also worked with GLAAD to create a public service announcement about her family and the attacks on trans people, and Comcast NBCUniversal, Paramount, WarnerMedia and the Walt Disney Company have all donated air time to air that PSA nationwide.
Watch that PSA below.
— Tammye Nash
