DENVER — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is urging people to report parents of transgender kids for child abuse. In a news release last week, Abbott said the Texas Attorney General's opinion confirmed minors receiving transition care such as hormone therapy or surgery is child abuse under state law.
Since the governor issued this order, The Center on Colfax in Denver has received inquiries from Texas parents.
"We've actually had quite a few calls for parents who live in Texas who have LGBTQ children asking us if we think Colorado is a safe place for their children, and we always emphatically say it certainly is," Joe Foster with The Center on Colfax said.
"I felt completely disgusted that anyone in their right mind would think that laws like this would be helpful to anyone, anywhere, and it made me feel as though -- that maybe we are not as far ahead as we thought we were?" Foster said.
A lawsuit was filed this week by a Texas family with a transgender teen. The lawsuit is asking a judge to block the state's investigation. The lawsuit states, "parents are scared to remain in Texas, to send their children to school or to the doctor."
As the suit plays out in court, Foster and others will wait on Colfax with open arms for anyone looking for a safe haven.
"We may be Coloradans, but we're Americans first, and there's nothing more patriotic than being there for other Americans in their time of need," Foster said.
Next year, Colorado will require private health insurance carriers to cover gender-affirming care for transgender patients. Included in coverage will be things like hormone therapy, facial feminization and top surgery.
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