Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Remember when Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told the world there would be “no bathroom bill” this legislative session? Senate Bill 17, which advanced to the full Texas Senate earlier this week, may not ban transgender people from using public bathrooms, but its outcome is just as worrisome…
Anti-LGBTQ Bills Flood State Legislature as Filing Deadline Arrives
Friday, March 15 was the deadline for filing bills for this session of the Texas Legislature and as expected, Republicans have unleashed a torrent of proposed legislation aimed a scaling back the rights of LGBTQ Texans. On March 18, Equality Texas released a list of “bad bills” and expressed particular concern for two bills: SB15…
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick Advances Bills by Two Anti-LGBT Senators
Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has advanced two bills in the Senate that would allow professionals who provide health and counseling services to discriminate based on their “sincerely held religious beliefs.” The first bill, SB 444, which was introduced by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), applies to anyone holding or applying for a professional license. The…
Texas Senate Advances Bill Allowing Adoption Agencies to Discriminate Against LGBT Parents
Originally published in the San Antonio Current In the midst of what the Governor has called a foster care “crisis” in Texas, state Senators voted to tentatively approve a bill to make it easier for religious adoption agencies to turn away prospective parents. Sen. Charles Perry’s House Bill 3859 would grant state foster care and…