In an email to supporters, Equality Texas announced it was joining state and national LGBT leaders in opposing the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. On July 9, President Donald J. Trump nominated Kavanaugh, who has spent 12 years serving in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, to…
Town Hall to Address Refusal of Service to LGBTs After SCOTUS Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision
Last June, in a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of the owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, absolving him from legal liability for refusing to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple because it went against his religious beliefs. While many legal experts have maintained the…
What the U.S. Supreme Court’s Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision Means for Religious Refusal Laws in Texas
By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune Last year, a dispute over a Colorado wedding cake made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — and this week, the reverberations of the high court’s ruling made it all the way to Texas. After the high court ruled Monday in favor of a Christian baker…
A Gay Texas Teacher Is on Leave After She Showed Students a Photo of Her Wife. She Has Few Legal Protections.
By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune Stacy Bailey has been employed as an art teacher at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School for a decade, but she hasn’t been in the classroom since September. Instead, she’s in limbo: She isn’t fired — her contract with the district has even been renewed — but she’s not working. Mansfield…
A Guide to Voting While Trans
We all know voting matters. Our elected officials have direct impacts on our lives, especially at the local level. But being transgender can often lead to anxiety when it is time to cast your vote. I’m lucky enough to have voted without incident for several years, but I know that many in our community can’t…
Community Groups Plan DreamWeek Events
Now in its sixth year, DreamWeek, which this year takes place from January 5 to 20, is a series of events that focus on fostering “the free exchange of ideas on universal issues affecting the human race.” The ultimate goal of DreamWeek is to advance “the voices of tolerance, equality and diversity.” Over 150 events…
Allies United: DeAnne Cuellar-Cintron & Louis Cintron Jr.
DeAnne Cuellar-Cintron & Louis Cintron Jr. Two-thirds of the way in, DeAnne Cuellar-Cintron and her partner Louis Cintron Jr. confessed that they worried our interview would seem boring. To them, their reasons for being longstanding allies to the local LGBTQ community were simple. “We got heavily involved with the LGBTQ community when we were younger…
Openly Gay Interim County Judge Appointed in El Paso
El Paso County Commissioners last week voted to replace County Judge Veronica Escobar, who is leaving to run for Congress, with her openly-gay chief of staff. Ruben John Vogt, who was chosen interim county judge in a 4-1 vote on October 2, becomes the second openly-gay person to hold the title of County Judge in…
Trump Judicial Nominee from Texas Says Trans Kids Are Part of ‘Satan’s Plan’
One of President Donald Trump’s nominees for a federal judgeship in Texas is a notorious homophobe who supports conversion therapy, says marriage equality will lead to polygamy and bestiality, and maintains that trans kids are evidence of “Satan’s plan.” Jeff Mateer currently serves as the first assistant attorney general of Texas, a position he has…
Supporting Transgender Kids Is Child Abuse Says Texas State Rep
A state representative from McKinney, Texas says that transgender children are mentally ill and letting them express their gender identities is tantamount to child abuse. The remarks were made by state Rep. Scott Sanford during a panel discussion on bathroom privacy legislation which was produced by CBS DFW (KTVT-TV) and streamed on Facebook Live on…