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…
Critics Say Trump’s Ban on Trans People in the Armed Forces Doesn’t Reflect Reality of Military Life
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Until Donald Trump tweeted out his plans to ban transgender troops from entering the military, Tech Sgt. Jamie Hash never felt unwelcome during her eight years in the U.S. Air Force. Indeed, when she informed her supervisor in June 2016 of her pending transition, the response was supportive…
San Antonio Trans Woman Finds Success With Career in Real Estate
A San Antonio transgender woman has just become the founding president of the San Antonio chapter of the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP), making her the first trans person to be in a leadership position with the organization. For Jamie Zapata, helping establish NAGLREP’s local chapter is a career milestone.…
At Re-enlistment, Trans Airman Says, “I Continue to Serve for Those Who Cannot”
A transgender airman stationed in San Antonio at Joint Base Randolph says she chose to re-enlist in the U.S. Air Force as a way to show that trans people can serve honorably in the armed forces. “I feel that it’s critical I continue to serve for those who cannot,” she told the San Antonio Express-News.…
Young SA Designers Introduce Inclusive Video Game at PAX South
A group of 14-to-18-year-old designers from San Antonio have created a role-playing video game whose superhuman characters represent people of all body types, gender identities and sexual orientations. The game, Date Me Super Senpai, which will be showcased this weekend at the PAX South conference in San Antonio, was created by 12 high school students…
Straus Warns of Economic Consequences if Bathroom Bill Passes
Addressing the Texas Association of Business conference on January 18, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said lawmakers should consider the economic consequences to the state if a proposed bathroom bill (SB6) is passed by the legislature. “There’s been a lot of work put into our state’s economic success. We want to continue that success, and…
Texas Has a Sizable Trans Population. So Why All the Anti-Trans Politics?
Originally published in the San Antonio Current A recent study conducted by researchers at The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law shows that approximately 1.4 million adults consider themselves to be transgender. According to the study, the number is twice that of the transgender population estimated to have existed in the United States…
This Week’s Biggest Asshats in the ‘Bathroom’ Debate
As the debate over which public bathroom transgender people should be allowed to use continues, one thing has become increasingly clear: The people arguing against such rights have little to zero knowledge of what it means to be transgender. From politicians to television sports analysts, many have weighed in with poorly informed opinions. Here’s a roundup…