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…
Pro-LGBTQ Bills Look Dead in the Texas House, but Advocates Say They’ve Made Progress
“Having a hearing is sometimes a victory,” said state Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, whose conversion therapy ban was debated for the first time this year. By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune In every session since she was elected to the Texas House, state Rep. Celia Israel has taken aim at the controversial practice of conversion…
With Business Groups’ Backing, House Panel Adds Non-Discrimination Protection to Senate Bill
State Rep. Dade Phelan added the provision to a Senate bill that would bar cities from enacting rules on how businesses schedule their employees’ shifts. LGBTQ groups worried that without the language, businesses could pick which employees get certain benefits. By Alex Samuels, The Texas Tribune Republicans’ legislative efforts to ban cities from mandating benefits…
Rep. Garnet Coleman Seeks to Add Gender Identity to Texas Hate Crimes Law
State Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) held a press conference at the State Capitol on April 29 to announce he is introducing a bill to add gender identity to the list of protected classes in the state’s hate crimes law. The James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act was passed by the State Legislature in 2001. The…
Three Republican Bills Which Threaten Local NDO’s to Receive Hearings in Texas House
Three bills that prohibit cities from regulating how an employer distributes benefits, healthcare, and paid leave, and which also contain provisions that could threaten the enforcement of local nondiscrimination ordinances, are slated to be heard by the Texas House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday, May 1. The three bills (SB 2485, SB 2486, and SB…