TEXAS — Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking heat for a tweet on Thursday that critics say is transphobic.

What You Need To Know

  • Twitter flagged a tweet by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as a violation of its rules concerning hateful conduct. However, it allowed the tweet to remain accessible because it was determined to be in the public interest

  • Paxton, retweeting a tweet from USA Today, wrote that Adm. Rachel Levine, who is a transgender woman, “is a man” 

  • Paxton’s tweet drew criticism from his political opponents as well as advocates for the transgender community

  • Paxton’s non-binding opinion led to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issuing a directive that requires a state agency to investigate parents of trans children who allow them to undergo certain gender-affirming procedures

Paxton retweeted a tweet from USA Today concerning “Exceptional Women of the Year” that features a photo of its Woman of the Year, Adm. Rachel Levine, the U.S. assistant secretary of health in the Biden administration. Levine is a trans woman. Paxton wrote, “Rachel Levine is a man.”

Paxton’s tweet was flagged by Twitter for violating its rules about hateful conduct. It cannot be liked or retweeted. However, the tweet is still viewable because Twitter determined it is in the public interest to allow it to remain accessible.

It was Paxton’s non-binding opinion last month that led Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a directive mandating the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services investigate parents of transgender children who allow them to undergo gender-affirming procedures such as a regimen of puberty blockers.

Rochelle Garza, a Democrat who is running for Texas attorney general, criticized Paxton with a tweet of her own.

“This type of hatred, lack of acceptance, and ignorance have NO place in the Office of Texas Attorney General. It’s time Texans have an AG that will respect ALL Texans, regardless of their identity,” she wrote.

“Transphobia doesn’t make you a leader. If you can’t represent all people, don’t hold public office,” LGBTQ+ and civil rights organization Human Rights Campaign tweeted.

Abbott’s directive prompted at least nine investigations. A district judge last week issued an injunction halting enforcement of the directive for the time being.

The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal sued on behalf of the parents of the 16-year-old girl over the investigation and Abbott’s directive. A trial is schedule for July 11 on the challenge to Abbott’s directive.

Paxton said he planned to appeal the judge’s ruling.

“I’ll win this fight to protect our Texas children,” Paxton tweeted.

The governor’s directive and Paxton’s opinion go against the nation’s largest medical groups, including the American Medical Association, which have opposed Republican-backed restrictions on transgender people filed in statehouses nationwide.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.