HB 1106
Endangering LGBTQIA+ youth by legitimizing familial rejection and limiting state protections
What's in the bill?
HB 1106 amends the Texas Family Code to clarify that a parent’s refusal to affirm a child’s gender identity or orientation does not constitute child abuse or neglect. This includes withholding access to gender-affirming care, rejecting a child’s chosen name/pronouns, or refusing to support their LGBTQ+ identity.
What does it mean?
Barriers to Protection:
Child Protective Services (CPS) and courts will be unable to intervene in cases where parental rejection causes psychological harm, even if linked to self-harm or suicidality. For example, a trans child denied mental health care or subjected to conversion therapy by parents would no longer be protected by the state of Texas.
Increased Isolation:
LGBTQ+ youth may feel abandoned by systems meant to protect them, exacerbating mental health crises. Data from the Trevor Project shows 49% of Texas trans/nonbinary youth seriously considered suicide in 2024.
Chilling Effect on Reporting:
Teachers, doctors, and social workers may hesitate to report familial rejection as abuse, fearing legal repercussions or confusion over the law’s scope.
Normalizing rejection
Parents could interpret the law as state-sanctioned permission to reject or stigmatize their child’s LGBTQ+ identity, worsening rates of homelessness and familial estrangement. Similar laws in Tennessee and Florida correlate with increased LGBTQ+ youth homelessness and mental health service avoidance.
What can we do now?
Public Education
Equality Texas is launching a statewide Know Your Rights campaign underscoring the specifics of this law and its potential impacts to begin in late 2025.
Share Mental Health Resources
Uplift organizations like Trans Lifeline, the Trevor Project and NAMI to provide crisis support.
Improve Training
Work with partner organizations to train educators, healthcare providers, and CPS staff to identify and address non-physical abuse (i.e., emotional neglect) while navigating HB 1106’s constraints.
Policy Advocacy
Equality Texas is preparing legislation for the 2027 legislative session to reverse or mitigate the impact of this legislation if it has not been struck down by the courts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What, specifically, does HB 1106 do?
HB 1106 amends the Texas Family Code to explicitly state that a parent’s refusal to affirm their child’s gender identity or sexual orientation does not constitute child abuse or neglect. That will provide legal protection to parents who reject their child’s chosen name/pronouns or withhold access to gender-affirming care. This shields parents from Child Protective Services (CPS) intervention, even if their actions cause psychological harm.
How might this law impact LGBTQ+ youth?
LGBTQ+ youth may lose some critical protections, as CPS cannot intervene in cases where parental rejection leads to emotional abuse. Schools and community groups may scale back LGBTQ+ support (GSAs, pronoun policies) to avoid conflicts with parents emboldened by the law.
Have other states passed similar laws? What happened?
Yes. Tennessee passed HB 800 (2023) which blocked CPS from investigating families denying gender-affirming care. The bill resulted in a 30% spike in crisis hotline calls from LGBTQ+ youth.
How could HB 1106 affect reporting abuse?
Teachers, doctors, and social workers may hesitate to report emotional abuse, fearing legal repercussions or confusion over the law’s scope. Worse, LGBTQ+ youth may avoid seeking help, knowing the state will not intervene.
What can the community do to support LGBTQ+ youth?
Fund LGBTQ+ community centers, telehealth mental health services, and school GSAs. Educate CPS staff, teachers, and healthcare providers to identify non-physical abuse and connect youth to affirming resources.