As of September 1, Senate Bill 14 has gone into effect in Texas, temporarily cutting off critical and evidence-based medical care for transgender youth in our state. This law is cruel, unconstitutional, and goes against the unequivocal guidance of every major medical association.
As our fight continues in court (see our Legal Updates page), it is more important than ever to love and support each other and unite against lawmakers’ relentless bullying of transgender youth.
Transgender people have existed in Texas long before it was a state and have strived for over a century to be equally recognized in our society and under the law. As this fight continues and we collectively face an unprecedented moment of backlash, we will be equally relentless in our love and support for each other and will not be erased.
Check out Transgressive: A trans survival guide by and for queer and trans people in Texas from the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT).
Access Resources for Transgender Youth & Families in Texas Impacted by SB14 from the Campaign for Southern Equality, Equality Texas, and TENT.
And check out this Mental Health Toolkit from Equality Texas, as well as additional resources below.
As further explained on the Legal Updates page, we still have court orders blocking investigations into transgender youth and their families for medical care they receive by the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. These court orders only apply to members of PFLAG, which you can join by clicking here. And if you or someone you know is contacted by DFPS about health care for transgender youth, you have a right to legal counsel and can contact the Lambda Legal Help Desk.
To request other legal assistance, please visit the ACLU of Texas or Lambda Legal websites.
If you are an attorney and would like to offer your services to represent families and others threatened with investigations, please fill out this form.
Other Important Resources
- Our case page in the Loe v. Abbott court case, which aims to restore access to medical care for transgender youth in Texas.
- DFPS investigation FAQ for Parents from the Transgender Education Network of Texas and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund.
- Parent Resource Folder from the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), which includes tips about safe folders, a card your child can carry in case they’re approached by CPS alone, information about federal actions to support trans Texans, and more. You can reach out to TENT with other questions and needs, including needing help accessing medical care, at [email protected].
Remember, if DFPS contacts you:
- Even if an intake specialist shows up at your door, you don't have to let them in and can schedule for a later date. This will give you time to get legal representation and ensure they’re in the initial call.
- Immediately contact Lambda Legal for a referral to pro bono attorneys.
- Do not hand over your safe folder or sign any documents authorizing the release of private information or medical records. Do not talk about the healthcare your child is receiving.
- Make sure your child knows they do not have to speak to anyone from DFPS, even if they’re approached at school.
Disclaimer: No part of this webpage constitutes legal advice. Please contact Lambda Legal, the ACLU of Texas, or other attorneys if you need legal counsel.
Mental Health Resources
The below list of resources was developed in September 2023 and some information may be subject to change. By providing the resources below, we cannot vouch for these programs and some crisis hotlines may contact 911 or first responders when required to under the law. With that said, we hope these resources are useful and that you can find the help that you need.
*NEW* Equality Texas Mental Health Toolkit: Access it here
LGBTQIA+ specific hotlines
- LGBTQ+ National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
- Trevor Project Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
- Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860
- LGBT National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564
General crisis hotlines
- Crisis TextLine – Text “START” to 741-741
- Teen Line - 1-800 -TLC-TEEN, Text "TEEN" to 839863
- Texas Youth Helpline - 1-800-989-6884
- National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799-7233
- National Sexual Assault Hotline – 1-800-656-4673
- National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Hotline - 1-844-289-0879
- Mental Health America
- National Runaway Safeline – 1-800-786-2929
Other sites to visit for help
LGBTQIA+ Organizations in Texas
Statewide
- allgo
- Black Trans Advocacy Coalition
- Black Trans Men Inc.
- Black Trans Women Inc.
- Human Rights Campaign
- LGBT Law Section, State Bar of Texas
- Mahogany Project Texas
- Organización Latina de Trans en Texas
- Texas Competes
- Texas Freedom Network
- Texas GSA Network
- Trans Legal Aid Clinic of Texas
- Texas Transgender Alliance Resource Guide
- Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit
- Trans-Cendence International, Inc.
- Trans Pride Initiative
Abilene
Amarillo
Austin
Beaumont
Boerne
Brownsville
Bryan/College Station
Corpus Christi
Dallas
- DFW Trans Kids and Families
- North Texas Gay and Lesbian Alliance
- PFLAG Dallas
- Resource Center
- Women and LGBT Center at SMU
El Paso
Fort Worth
Georgetown
Houston
- Gender Infinity
- Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce
- Hatch Youth
- The Houston Intersex Society
- LGBT Resource Center at University of Houston
- Montrose Center
- Montrose Grace Place
- PFLAG Houston
- Save Our Sisters United