Texas removes suicide hotline from LGBTQ site because it could hurt GOP governor's reelection

[kpete]

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) quietly removed information intended to help prevent LGBTQ youth suicide from one of its websites after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) was criticized by a primary opponent for “promoting transgender sexual policies to Texas youth.”

The site for Texas Youth Connection, part of DFPS, used to have a page called “Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation” that had links to various LGBTQ youth resources, including a suicide prevention hotline and educational materials.

In August, Don Huffines, who is challenging Abbott in the Republican primary, criticized the site in a video posted to Twitter.

“Governor Abbott’s political appointees that are running the Department of Family and Protective Services have put out and has been on their website some very disturbing information,” Huffines said in the video. “They are promoting transgender sexual policies to our- to Texas youth!”


MORE:
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/10/texas-removes-suicide-hotline-lgbtq-site-hurt-gop-governors-reputation/

Link to tweet

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[spanone]

1. Greg abbott is offensive to humanity.

[marble falls]

2. Governor Abbott: a man of some of the people.

[sheshe2]

3. Look at them all posing with their chick fil A cups.

Chick-fil-A is under attack over its CEO's ties to a Christian charity accused of trying to squash proposed LGBTQ protections. Here's what we know about the chain's donations.

https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-ties-to-anti-equality-act-efforts-explained-2021-6

Link to tweet

So proud of their bigotry.

[Thomas Hurt]

4. Nice corrupt product placement in that photo too...

Make sure you don't cover up the chicken logo too much you rat b@stards.

[BeckyDem]

5. Republicans, The Sociopaths Party.

[CrispyQ]

6. These people are just mean.

So smug, so self-righteous, so privileged. I'm having a really hard time being pleasant to or social with people I know who still identify as republican. Even if they're not very political, they must realize how heinous GOP policies are. And don't get me started how you can support a party that allows key governors & legislators to lie & mislead on issues of public health. I just don't get how decent people support the Republican Party anymore.

[Initech]

7. What a colossal scumbag!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

8. State agency removed online resources for LGBTQ youth after complaints from Abbott primary opponent

This is disgusting

Link to tweet

State agency removed online resources for LGBTQ youth after complaints from a Republican challenging Gov. Greg Abbott, emails show https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/12/texas-lgbtq-resources-department-family-protective-services/

Texas’ child welfare agency removed a webpage that offered resources to LGBTQ youth following complaints by one of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s GOP primary challengers, according to internal agency communications.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services webpage, which provides information to children in the foster care system, included information about a suicide prevention hotline, LGBTQ legal services, and questions about defining gender and sexual identity.

On Aug. 31, Republican former state Sen. Don Huffines released a video on Twitter claiming that DFPS is “promoting transgender sexual policies to Texas youth” through a webpage titled “Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation.”

“These are not Texas values, these are not Republican party values, but these are obviously Greg Abbott’s values, that’s why we need a change, that’s what my campaign’s about,” Huffines said.

The Houston Chronicle first reported on the internal agency correspondence. According to communications obtained by The Texas Tribune, in the hours after Huffines’ video went up, DFPS employees discussed the possibility of removing the webpage or changing its content.

Huffines, a staunch conservative, is challenging Abbott from the right in next year’s GOP primary. Abbott’s office has not responded to a request for comment on the matter. The governor has power to appoint the DFPS commissioner and the agency’s nine-member council.

In an email to DFPS spokesperson Patrick Crimmins on Aug. 31, DFPS media specialist Marissa Gonzales wrote that Huffines’ video was “starting to blow up on Twitter,” linking to his video and the webpage in question. The page was populated with information from the Texas Youth Connection, a DFPS division that provides “local and national resources to help youth transition into adulthood.”

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

9. Duplicate

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215946504