In a decision released late yesterday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that sex-change procedures on children — including the use of drugs which halt the natural development of puberty and induce sterilization as well as surgical interventions — constitute “child abuse” under Texas law. This follows a similar finding last year by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

In response, Terry Schilling, president of American Principles Project (APP), released the following statement praising Paxton’s decision:

“Children cannot consent to sex. Nor can they consent to permanent bodily modifications such as tattoos. Even in our highly polarized society, these are truths which nearly every American can agree on.

“In a sane world, yesterday’s decision by Attorney General Paxton would not be controversial either. He is merely affirming an extension of the above truths: children cannot consent to taking drugs and undergoing surgeries that can permanently sterilize them and radically alter the course of their lives. And any person who assists or encourages minors in pursuing these ends is committing child abuse, period.

“Sadly, the woke left has become so invested in their warped idea of ‘gender identity’ that they are willing to destroy the lives of countless children to uphold this idea. And already, they have begun to unleash attacks on AG Paxton, ironically accusing him of the very thing they are responsible for: hurting kids.

“APP strongly commends AG Paxton for courageously standing up for Texas’ children in the face of these attacks. And we urge other state attorneys general to follow his lead to protect the innocence of our nation’s kids from the woke ideologues and Big Pharma executives eager to exploit them.”

In December, Terry Schilling co-authored an op-ed with Texas Republican Party Chairman Matt Rinaldi calling on Texas lawmakers to ban sex-change procedures on children. You can read that piece in the Dallas Express here.

To schedule an engagement with American Principles Project, contact Paul Dupont at (o) 202-503-2010 or pdupont@americanprinciplesproject.org.