Desiree Guerrero

An unprecedented settlement agreement has been reached in a case brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that requires Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston to pay $10 million to the state and create a “detransition clinic.” The settlement comes following an investigation initiated by the attorney general’s office in 2023, according to a report by The Texas Tribune. That same year, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 14 into law, which prohibits trans-identifying minors from receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapies. Although the agreement was reached in May, it was announced by Paxton’s office on Friday that the historic settlement has now “been fully executed.” […]

Backlash has erupted among Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocates in Ohio after two major state politicians pulled back on their support for transgender rights, according to an in-depth report by local news outlet Signal Statewide.  Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and longtime U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo, who is up for reelection in November, are being criticized by Democratic advisory groups and LGBTQ+ activists for their positions on transgender issues ahead of the fall election. Kaptur recently voted for a GOP-backed measure requiring parental notification when students seek to change their names or pronouns at school, and Acton was criticized for describing transgender girls as “boys” while explaining her position on […]

On October 5, 2022, transgender high school student Tatiana Blount was the victim of a violent attack planned by fellow students that left her with serious and permanent injuries, according to a report from Norfolk, Virginia, ABC affiliate WVEC. Now, Blount is suing Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk for damages, attorneys’ fees, and court costs, claiming school authorities ignored her multiple requests for intervention and protection. The suit alleges that school officials displayed “gross negligence” and their actions violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Gender dysphoria is considered a disability under the ADA.) It goes on […]

On Thursday, a Superior Court judge upheld the block of a referendum on transgender athletes from its November ballot, according to Maine Public. The proposal, launched by Protect Girls’ Sports in Maine, aimed to restrict transgender school athletes to compete only on teams that match their gender assigned at birth, or on co-ed teams. Further, it would enforce the use of separate “male” and “female” locker rooms, restrooms, and showers. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. The campaign gained momentum in February, when the group submitted a […]