The first anti-transgender bill, HB68, has been filed in the Texas Legislature by Steve Toth, R-Spring, with the caption, “Relating to the definition of abuse of a child.”

The bill seeks to amend the Family Code. The first portion of the bill deals with forcing a child to perform sex, trafficking, prostitution and appearing in porn.

The next section deals with using puberty-blockers on teens who are transgender “for the purpose of attempting to change or affirm a child’s perception of the child’s sex, if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s biological sex as determined by the child’s sex organs, chromosomes and endogenous hormone profiles.”

The bill lists types of surgery that would be forbidden, although gender-confirming surgery is never performed on someone younger than 18.

The law targets medical professionals and mental health professionals as well as family members. Using puberty blockers would come under “family violence” and would be punishable as such. Medical professionals would lose their license and be subject to prison.

— David Taffet