Text of TX SCR 3 (2023)

88R3473 BPG-D By: Hall, Campbell S.C.R. No. 3 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION WHEREAS, The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and Children's Hospital Association wrote a letter to the United States Attorney General on October 3, 2022, requesting a Department of Justice investigation of organizations, individuals, and entities that advocate against what they term "gender-affirming health care"; and WHEREAS, "Gender-affirming care" is an unconscionable misnomer for the abhorrent practice of genital mutilation and the administration of puberty blockers to children who can not even legally smoke cigarettes; such "care" leads to irreparable harm, psychological damage, and a lifetime of trauma; and WHEREAS, The defenders of "gender-affirming" treatment wish to silence the voices of those who have undergone gender transitions and are left with immense, debilitating regret; they ignore that other countries have examined the issue of whether minors can adequately understand and properly consent to "gender-affirming care"; in a landmark 2020 High Court decision in the United Kingdom, the court ruled that the capacity to legally consent to taking puberty blockers was "highly unlikely" for 13-year-olds and "doubtful" for 14- and 15-year-olds; consequently, the use of puberty blockers was suspended for children under the age of 16; and WHEREAS, In July 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning regarding gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, commonly known as puberty blockers; the FDA identified a plausible association between GnRH agonist use and pseudotumor cerebri, also known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension, which occurs when pressure inside the skull spontaneously increases; the condition can cause brain swelling, severe headaches, nausea, double vision, and even permanent vision loss, according to the Mayo Clinic; and WHEREAS, "Gender-affirming care" is a dangerous practice that destroys lives, and those who would suppress opposition to such treatment are deserving of the harshest censure; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby express support for ending "gender-affirming care" and condemn the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and Children's Hospital Association for their attempt to suppress objections to such treatment.