Following Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s order in February 2022 that called for child protective services to investigate families of transgender children who were receiving gender-affirming healthcare for child abuse, 65 companies have signed a letter asking for Abbot to abandon these anti-LGBTQ+ efforts.
As reported by Kotaku, these 65 companies – a list that includes Electronic Arts, Gearbox Entertainment, and Microsoft – signed the letter that was organized by the LGBTQ+ organization the Human Rights Campaign and was posted in the Friday edition of the Dallas Morning News as a full-page advertisement.
The ad copy was shared by Rebecca Marques, the Texas director of HRC, on Twitter.
This will run in the Dallas Morning News this morning. #ProtectTransKids #txlege pic.twitter.com/rviiklLbJr
— Rebecca Marques (@_RebeccaMarques) March 11, 2022
“Our companies do business, create jobs, and serve customers in Texas,” the letter reads. “We are committed to building inclusive environments where our employees can thrive inside and outside of the workplace. For years we have stood to ensure LGBTQ+ people – our employees, customers, and their families – are safe and welcomed in the communities where we do business.
“The recent attempt to criminalize a parent for helping their transgender child access medically necessary, age-appropriate healthcare in the state of Texas goes against the values of our companies. This policy creates fear for employees and their families, especially those with transgender children, who might now be faced with choosing to provide the best possible medical care for their children but risk having those children removed by child protective services for doing so. It is only one of several efforts discriminating against transgender youth that are advancing across the country.
“We call on our public leaders – in Texas and across the country – to abandon efforts to write discrimination into law and policy. It’s not just wrong, it has an impact on our employees, our customers, their families, and our work.”
Image Credit: DBenitostock/Getty Images
EA, Microsoft, and Gearbox are members of the pro-LGBTQ business network Texas Competes and Gearbox itself has previously taken a stand against a previous bill that proposed banning transgender youth from participating in sports.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.