1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Texas' edict to invalidate court orders allowing gender marker changes on identification documents and birth certificates is an authoritarian overstep that dismisses both judicial authority and individual rights. Revoking legally obtained identity documents disregards the human dignity and autonomy of transgender Texans. This regressive step compromises privacy and safety by forcibly outing trans people in situations where identity documents are required. Moreover, Attorney General Paxton's unilateral declaration that courts lack jurisdiction over gender recognition flies in the face of the separation of powers. Concentrating authority in the Attorney General's office to dictate what court rulings are permissible is an alarming consolidation of power incompatible with democratic principles. Trans Texans deserve to have their identities recognized and upheld, not erased by government overreach contrary to judicial precedent. This unlawful directive warrants reassessment in keeping with equal protection under the law.