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

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

This is disgusting

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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.”