CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — This week Gov. Greg Abbott issued an opinion that a number of sex change procedures completed on minors, constitutes child abuse.
Following a similar letter by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Abbott gave his opinion to the Texas Department of Family and Protective services. Abbott wants licensed professionals and the general public to report parents of transgender children. He called on the department to investigate these parents for child abuse.
On Sunday, supporters of the LGBTQ community in Corpus Christi gathered for a monthly Diva Brunch. There we heard from people on what they thought on Abbott's comments.
“It really bothered me as a trans-woman because I feel like Greg Abbott is trying to further marginalize a population that is already living on the fringes of society,” said Lisa Perry, the 2021 Miss Gay Corpus Christi.
Many local leaders attended the fundraising brunch. Of them were Eric Holguin, president of LULAC Para Todos and Dr. Nancy Vera, president of Corpus Christi American Federation of Teachers. They called Abbott's opinion an attack on children.
“We’re a community of family and family means we accept and love everyone," said Holguin. "And that’s something we at LULAC Para Todos really advocate for, is whether you’re transgender, or gay, or bisexual, or non-binary whatever you identify as you should be accepted into community unconditionally.”
"As a 35 year educator, where I've educated the gamuts, from rich to poor, gay and straight, LGBTQIA+, students who have been battered and all sorts of issues I think it's an asinine idea," Vera said. "That Gov. Abbott has had to try to dismiss transgender students in the classroom. I think it's an obscenity as far as I'm concerned. I think that his off-the-cuff ideas or mandates don’t need to be in our classrooms. We need to accept children for who they are and teach them equitably and teach them about themselves.”
Holguin and Perry both said Abbott's comments were a political ploy
“I think he’s pushing his own personal agenda and as a representative he needs to really represent his community," Perry said. "And his community is not cis white men. His community is a diverse group of people. And he really needs to accept and love and support all of his community."
Members from both sides of the political aisle were out at the Diva Brunch.
"We don't really see events like this in Corpus Christi so it's dying to see it," Holguin said. "And we're open to everyone attending whether you're Republican or Democrat, as long as you believe and support the LGBTQIA+ community, then you're more than welcomed and accepted and loved here."
“I think that means it's a coming together of a community," said Vera. "A community where everyone is accepted no matter what. And we in Corpus Christi are that kind of community.”
The Diva Brunch is a monthly even that was created this year. Each Brunch raises money to be donated to a different non-profit organization. Sunday's Brunch raised $1,500 for South Texas Animal Rescue.
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