It’s a start, I guess.
Best mugshot ever
Attorney General Ken Paxton has pledged to meet with the Denton family of a transgender boy, even as his office continues its legal fight against federal school bathroom guidelines that the family supports.
Paxton was asked Monday by KXAS-TV (NBC5) if he would take up the Briggle family — including 8-year-old son, MG — on the offer of dinner. The Republican, who hails from McKinney, said he would be “happy to do that.”
Paxton spokesman Marc Rylander on Tuesday said his office is “already planning to reach out to this family.”
“He is absolutely willing,” he said. “I assure you he wouldn’t have gone on television and said he was going to meet with them if he wasn’t going to do that.”
[…]
Amber Briggle has said that her son deserves to be more than a pawn in a “pissing match” between the state and federal government. And the Briggles, who attended a court hearing this month over the school guidelines, have extended multiple offers to Paxton to meet.
But it wasn’t until the KXAS-TV interview that the attorney general gave an affirmative answer.
It’s unclear when and where a meeting between Paxton and the Briggles would take place. But Amber Briggle took to Twitter on Tuesday to celebrate the apparent success, writing to Paxton that she “can’t wait for you to #meetmychild.”
Don’t give him too much credit just yet. For one thing, he hasn’t actually done or committed to doing anything just yet – “planning to reach out to this family” is the equivalent of “I’ll have my people call your people”, and it’s not like Ken Paxton is renowned for his honesty. And if he does follow through, one dinner with one family hardly balances out his litigious onslaught against the rights and dignity of transgender people. Frankly, I don’t expect anything to come out of this no matter how hospitable the Briggle family is or whatever scripted nice things he may have to say to the press after dessert. I don’t believe an un-compassionate, non-empathetic person like Ken Paxton has it in him to change. I’d love to be wrong, and I’ll be delighted to admit it if I am, but I ain’t gonna hold my breath in anticipation. All that said, he has at least agreed in principle to meet with this one transgender child, which puts him a step above the craven coward Dan Patrick. For what it’s worth. Texas Standard has more.
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Charles,
Thanks for this thoughtful piece. Just an update: AG Paxton and his wife ARE coming to dinner. We have a date set but are not saying anything publicly, in order to protect my son’s privacy and safety. Also, I invited Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to dinner at the very same Equality Texas press conference that you referenced in this piece. Go back and watch the video, or listen to the clip that Texas Standard shared in the interview, and you’ll hear it. I still haven’t received an RSVP but am waiting patiently.
I tweeted you too! Hope you get some new views! Looks like a great blog!
Thanks,
Amber
I look forward to AG Paxton keeping his word and am hopeful this step begins to reduce his bigotry and hatefulness.