Ricardo Martinez is CEO of Equality Texas Over the last two years in Texas, in and outside of the Capitol, I’ve stood side by side with the parents of transgender children. I have witnessed the devotion and unconditional love they have for their children. At those events at the Capitol, when I allowed myself a…
Transgender Texas kids are terrified after governor orders that parents be investigated for child abuse
Some experts doubt that classifying gender-affirming care as child abuse would hold up in court, but families still feel targeted by Gov. Greg Abbott’s new order By Sneha Dey and Karen Brooks Harper, The Texas Tribune Every couple of months, Adamalis Vigil drives eight hours from the Rio Grande Valley to North Texas so her…
“Left out of the conversation”: Transgender Texans feel the impact of state’s restrictive abortion law
While Texas’ controversial abortion law strictly refers to women in its phrasing, it also limits access to the procedure for transgender and nonbinary people who are able to become pregnant. By Neelam Bohra, The Texas Tribune Samson Winsor moved across the country from Utah to Austin in 2019, hoping he would feel less out of…
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pledges to revive bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender kids
Apparently, Gov. Greg Abbott isn’t done trying to ramrod culture war issues through during the special session he called of the Texas Legislature. Texas’ Republican governor told a radio interviewer Monday that he’ll soon try to stop transgender minors from obtaining transition-related medical services, the Texas Tribune reports. Such a move would revive a push…
Members of Texas House LGBTQ Caucus named to key leadership positions
In the opening days of the 87th Legislative Session, members of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus were named to several key positions including Speaker Pro Tem, five chair, and 12 vice chairs positions. The Texas House LGBTQ Caucus was formed in January 2019 to “create a forum for Texas legislators to discuss issues that affect…
Texas Republicans want to keep transgender women out of women’s school sports teams
Lawmakers have filed legislation that would ban transgender girls and women who attend public K-12 schools, colleges and universities from playing on single-sex sports teams designated for girls and women. By Kate McGee and Aliyya Swaby, Texas Tribune Texas Republicans are again trying to limit the ways transgender youth can participate in athletics. Lawmakers have…
As State Legislature convenes, Equality Texas warns of bills targeting trans youth
The Texas Legislature convened for its 2021 session on January 12 and already Republican politicians, Representative Steve Toth and Senator Charles Perry, are targeting transgender youth with bills which Equality Texas says will put these young people “under a harmful spotlight.” In an email to its members, Equality Texas described the two proposed bills. “Toth’s…
Texas House Passes Religious Liberty Bill Amid LGBTQ Caucus’ Objections
What started as a sweeping religious refusals bill has been significantly watered down as it moves through the Texas Legislature. But LGBTQ advocates still fiercely oppose it, saying it perpetuates hateful rhetoric. By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune Over the tearful opposition of the Legislature’s first-ever LGBTQ Caucus and several failed attempts at a procedural…
Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Killed in Texas House Revived in Senate
A so-called “religious liberty” bill that was killed in the Texas House last week has been revived in the Texas Senate where it appears to be on a fast track. Last Thursday, state Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Carrollton), along with her colleagues on the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus defeated the bill, HB 3172, using a couple…
Texas LGBTQ Caucus Marks Major Victory, Killing Bill They Feared Would Hurt Gay People
The LGBTQ Caucus, formed this year, notched a major victory Thursday evening, defeating a controversial measure as the Texas House raced toward a midnight deadline. By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune In their first major test, members of the Texas House’s LGBTQ Caucus helped muscle down a bill Thursday night that they characterized as an…