Amber Briggle and her son.Photo: Amber Briggle/Facebook
Six years ago,Amber and Adam Briggleinvited Paxton to dinner to meet their son (whom they’d prefer not to name) and “put a human face” on the push for transgender rights. To their surprise, he accepted, and the family, alongside Paxton and his wife, Angela, ate steak kabobs and watermelon at their dining table in Denton, Texas.
“He literally went into a bathroom with my transgender son so they could wash their hands before dinner,” Ambertold The 19th. “He turns around and looks and says, ‘This is nice. It’s been a while since I had kids this age.’ "
In a letter sent at the end of February, Paxton said that allowing children to get treatments like hormone-suppressing drugs or therapies “can legally constitute child abuse” under Texas' family code. A few days later, Abbott directed (DFPS) to start investigating families and said thatthose found in violationwill face criminal charges.
Amber Briggle.Amber Briggle/Facebook
In a statement shared on her website, Amber said that DFPS contacted her on Feb. 28.
“When we were notified of the allegations, it was as if the wind had been knocked out of us,” she said. “We wanted to scream and cry, but we had no air. The room was spinning. Raising a transgender child in Texas has been one long political emergency.”
Adam, a tenured professor, and Amber, the owner of a massage studio, hired a lawyer and prepared their 14-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter for a home investigation two days later.
“We told the children that they have the right to not answer questions. We told them that the government is trying to spy on us even though we have done nothing wrong,” she said.
Amber Briggle and her son.Amber Briggle/Facebook
The inspectorinterviewed the familyand looked through the house.
“We showed her all the food in our cabinets, the kids' artwork on the walls, the toys, books, and games in the family room … The gardens and trampoline in the backyard. The beds piled with blankets and stuffed animals,” Amber wrote. “It was impossible for her not to feel the love in our home.”
“Before she left, she said that we were ‘clearly doing something right’ as she gestured toward our son who was practicing his cello. Then she left. But we are still here, waiting to see how the fate of our family will be decided.”
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Since Abbott and Paxton’s directive,DFPS has opened investigations into at least five families, including one parent who works for DFPS,theTexas Tribunehas confirmed.
Major medical organizations such as theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, theAmerican Medical Associationand theAmerican Psychological Associationhave said that gender-affirming medical care is a medically-necessary service for transgender kids.
The day that the Briggles had their home investigation, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra saidTexas' actions are illegaland that the federal government will intervene.
“HHS will take immediate action if needed,” Becerrasaid in a statement. “I know that many youth and their supportive families are feeling scared and isolated because of these attacks. HHS is closely monitoring the situation in Texas, and will use every tool at our disposal to keep Texans safe.”
source: people.com
