Originally published in the San Antonio Current. State Rep. Ina Minjarez hesitates before posting a photo on social media of the taco she’s about to eat. Though her Facebook page is personable, and the essence of her personality comes across in her posts, she admits sharing online is hard because she’s an introvert who enjoyed…
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…
State Rep. Bernal Recalls Attempt to Pass LGBT Housing Bill on Samantha Bee’s ‘Full Frontal’
State Representative Diego Bernal of San Antonio made an appearance on the June 6 episode of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee in which he discusses the topic of “The Texas Conscience” within the context of trying to pass an LGBT housing bill with the help of Dallas Republican Rep. Jason Villalba. Last year, when Bernal…
How the “Bathroom Bill” Helped Push a Republican PAC to Spend Millions on Moderates in Texas
By Cassandra Pollock, The Texas Tribune May 16, 2018 In September, the Texas Capitol was finally starting to calm down. A couple of contentious legislative sessions had pitted the Legislature’s Republican centrists against hard-line conservatives, largely over measures regulating which restrooms transgender Texans could use. Members had returned to their districts, almost certain the “bathroom…
Analysis: Texas GOP ignores young voters with LGBT snub
By Ross Ramsey, The Texas Tribune Texas Republican leaders have decided once again not to allow the party’s biggest LGBT group — the Log Cabin Republicans — to operate a booth at the state convention. It’s not the first time that’s happened, and it’s in line with the party platform on LGBT issues. But it…
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Opposed Controversial “Bathroom Bill,” State Legislator Says
By Emma Platoff, Texas Tribune March 13, 2018 Editor’s note: This story has been updated throughout. Gov. Greg Abbott himself was opposed to the controversial “bathroom bill” that dominated debate at the Texas Capitol for much of 2017, according to a state representative involved in keeping the legislation from passing the Texas House. State Rep.…
“Bathroom Bill” Fizzles as Republican Primary Issue
By Patrick Svitek, February 6, 2018 The “bathroom bill,” once touted as a surefire issue for the 2018 Republican primaries, is barely registering in them with less than a month until Election Day. Last year, state lawmakers waded into an intense, emotional debate over whether the state should restrict which bathrooms transgender Texans could use,…
Don’t Build Amazon’s HQ2 Facility in Austin or Dallas Says LGBT Campaign
A national campaign, dubbed No Gay? No Way!, has been started to urge Amazon not to locate its HQ2 facility in states that discriminate against LGBT people. That includes Texas where Austin and Dallas have been selected as finalists for the company’s much-sought-after second headquarters. Amazon began its search last year saying it would spend…
After Trump’s Vulgar Comment, State Rep. Mary Gonzalez Seeks ‘Positivity in Politics’
On January 12, the Washington Post reported that during a meeting with lawmakers on immigration President Donald Trump made a vulgar comment in reference to immigrants from Haiti and Africa. Trump’s words were met with widespread outrage. For State Rep. Mary Gonzalez of El Paso, the president’s comment presents an opportunity to endorse a more…
Texas Equity PAC Announces Endorsements
On December 29, Texas Equity PAC announced four end-of-the-year endorsements of candidates running for the Texas Legislature. In a statement on its Facebook page, Texas Equity PAC describes its mission: “Pro-equality legislation happens with the support of pro-equality lawmakers. The Texas Equity PAC is the political action committee of Equality Texas. It supports the election…