Bishop Endorses Transgender Legislation
Bishop Michael McKee gives his episcopal address during the 2022 Annual Conference at First United Methodist Church in Richardson, Texas, north of Dallas. Bishop McKee sent a cover letter endorsing a resolution adopted by the North Texas Conference promising to shield families of transgender children from investigation if they seek gender-affirming care in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott's order. (North Texas Conference Photo)
UPDATED June 17, 2022. See note at end.
In one of the final actions of its 2022 session, the North Texas Annual Conference adopted a resolution pledging to defy Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's order to have parents of transgender children investigated if they seek life-saving gender-affirming care for their youngsters.
The resolution, accompanied by a cover letter endorsing the statement from Dallas Area Bishop Michael McKee, was read into the public record June 10 during open testimony before the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Austin, the state capital.
"The resolution put the state on notice that more than 600 North Texas clergy, along with nearly 130,000 United Methodists in 277 churches covering 22 counties have declared themselves safe sanctuaries for trans families," said the Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Moore, the resolution's author, during a sermon June 12 at St. Stephen United Methodist Church in Mesquite, Texas, a Dallas suburb.
"This resolution tells the state that we will not criminalize life-saving medical care that medical authorities say is appropriate for trans children," Dr. Moore said.
The resolution, which had 35 clergy sponsors in addition to Dr. Moore, was adopted overwhelmingly by the North Texas Conference with an estimated 98 percent approving vote by a show of hands. Exact vote totals weren't taken by the conference.
The North Texas resolution builds upon Book of Discipline Paragraph 161.2, which declares all persons to be of sacred worth, and Paragraph 161.3, which asserts health care as a basic human right. The resolution also notes that all major national and state medical associations support "age-appropriate, individualized care, also known as gender-affirming care, for minors experiencing gender dysphoria."
The resolution declares that, while North Texas clergy acknowledge their obligation to report suspected child abuse, pastors in the conference refuse to criminalize gender-affirming medical care, and therefore won't report families that seek such care for their children and youths.
Gov. Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have pursued a campaign against trans families for more than a year, with Abbott issuing an order in February for DFPS to investigate families for child abuse if they seek gender-affirming care. Trans families and their allies have widely protested the effort, even to the point of some families moving out of the state to protect their children's right to medical care, according to National Public Radio, the Dallas Morning News, and the Texas Tribune.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services said May 19 it would “resume investigation of all allegations of child abuse” despite the fact, as the resolution says, that "state law does not explicitly define gender-affirming care as child abuse."
Abbott's order has been interrupted twice by injunctions against its enforcement. The Texas Supreme Court overruled a statewide injunction May 13. The Texas Tribune reported June 10: "Travis County District Judge Jan Soifer issued a temporary restraining order Friday in a lawsuit filed on behalf of three families and members of PFLAG, an LGBTQ advocacy group that claims more than 600 members in Texas."
In the same article, Tribune reporter Eleanor Kilbanoff wrote: "The mental health impact of Abbott’s directive has already been clear, according to the lawsuit. One 16-year-old transgender boy, identified in the suit as Antonio Voe, attempted to kill himself after the directive came down. When he was admitted to an outpatient psychiatric facility, the staff reported his family to DPFS for child abuse because he was undergoing hormone therapy, according to the lawsuit."
UPDATE: On June 16 the Dallas Morning News reported: "Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state will appeal an injunction allowing gender-affirming medical treatments for new patients at Children’s Medical Center Dallas."
On the same day, the Dallas News also published a wire services article headlined "Trans kids’ treatment can start younger, new guidelines say." The article was summarized: "The World Professional Association for Transgender Health said hormones could be started at age 14 and some surgeries done at age 15 or 17, a year or so earlier than previous guidance."
UPDATE June 17, 2022: The Dallas Morning News reported:
"The state of Texas cannot intervene in a lawsuit between Children’s Medical Center Dallas and one of its doctors over gender-affirming care for trans patients, a Dallas judge decided Friday.
"After a contentious hearing that lasted more than two hours, Dallas County Judge Melissa Bellan said Attorney General Ken Paxton had not convinced her that the state had an interest in this case. Paxton’s office is expected to fight her decision at the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas."
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to fight anti-LGBTQ state bills. According to NBC News, "The order aims to expand access to gender affirming care and advance LGBTQ-inclusive learning environments at American schools.
Full disclosure: United Methodist Insight is sponsored by St. Stephen United Methodist Church where Dr. Moore is lead pastor. St. Stephen UMC is a member of Reconciling Ministries Network, an organization advocating full inclusion of LGBTQ persons in The United Methodist Church and in society.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011. To reproduce this content elsewhere, please email for permission.