Microsoft, Meta, Gearbox Entertainment and Electronic Arts are among the 65 companies that have signed a letter petitioning for the end of anti-LGBTQ+ efforts from the government of the state of Texas.
To those who might have missed this news happening in the United States, this letter refers to governor Greg Abbott's instruction to Texas state agencies to view gender-affirming medical treatments - like puberty blockers or hormone therapy - for transgender children as child abuse in February. In a press conference, he supplemented this with a statement asking “licensed professionals” and “members of the general public” to be mindful of whether or not children may be undergoing treatments of this sort and report the parents to state authorities. Abbott added that failure to call attention to instances of gender-affirming medical treatments to the state will lead to "criminal penalties."
In yesterday's issue of the Dallas Morning News, the Human Rights Campaign paid for a full-page advertisement to place the letter titled "Discrimination is Bad for Business." As aforementioned, more than 60 companies have signed in support of transgender children and adults in the state of Texas and asked that this bill be dissolved.
"Our companies do business, create jobs, and serve customers in Texas," reads the statement. "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."
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"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."
Last year, Microsoft donated more than $2 million to charities and organisations assisting LGBTQI+ communities across the country and has consistently scored 100 on the HRC Corporate Equality Index since 1989. Kotaku notes that Gearbox has also supported transgender individuals with the opposition of the anti-trans bathroom bill in 2017 and the sanctions against transgender athletes in competitive sports in 2021.
The latest update in this clash between Texas governors and LGBTQ+ families is that Travis County District Judge Amy Clark Meachum has called for a cessation to the order that parents seeking gender-affirming care for their children will be investigated for abuse in the midst of the lawsuit between one family and the state's child protection agency.
Featured Image Credit: Oriel Frankie Ashcroft via Pexels, Dimitris Chapsoulas via UnsplashTopics: Microsoft, Borderlands, EA
