Texas lawmakers pursued dozens of bills affecting LGBTQ people this year. Here’s what passed and what failed.
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Members of Austin’s LGBTQ community gather on the steps of the Texas Capitol in 2017 to celebrate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots. Republican lawmakers are pushing bills that could upend the lives of LGBTQ people this year.
Texas lawmakers this year passed bills banning puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender kids and restricting the college sports teams that trans athletes can join. They also expanded the definition of sexual conduct in a way that could include some drag performances in a bill meant to ban sexually explicit performances in front of kids. But legislation seeking to limit classroom lessons, teacher guidance and school programming about sexual orientation and gender identity missed a key deadline to advance during the final days of the regular session.
They were among several bills the Legislature considered that would bring major changes to the lives of gay and transgender Texans. Republicans pushed most of the legislation, though a handful of Democrats backed some of the bills.
The bills came during a legislative session in which some conservative lawmakers, emboldened by the growing acceptance of Christian nationalism on the right, pursued legislation they believed could create a national model for infusing Christianity into the public sphere.
Tensions between LGBTQ Texans and GOP officials flared in May, when debate over restricting gender-affirming care for trans kids spurred protests that led to altercations with state police. Children and young adults in particular were the focus of this year's legislation. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made it a Senate priority to pass measures that limit to school lessons about LGBTQ people, the college sports teams transgender students can join and medical treatments that can be provided to transgender youth. Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to ban schools’ “woke agendas.”
LGBTQ activists and many Democratic lawmakers waged a monthslong fight against the bills. Many say the proposed measures amounted to attempts to minimize queer expression and restrict people’s rights.
According to a January report from the Trevor Project, a national LGBTQ youth suicide-prevention organization, 71% of LGBTQ youth said debates over bills affecting how they live negatively impact their mental health — and 86% of transgender youth reported negative mental health repercussions from such legislation.
“Texas has become one of the most dangerous and hostile places for transgender youth and transgender people and their families in America,” Andrea Segovia, senior field and policy adviser of the Transgender Education Network of Texas, told reporters in February.
The clash came at a time when 72% of Texans support anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, according to a 2021 survey from the Public Religion Research Institute.
1 comment:
I used to work Show Clubs. They were mainly made up of Tranny's who sang and danced on stage to a surprisingly mixed audience. There was a very popular Show Club in Galveston. Back in the late 19 hundreds I served as the area Sgt. I knew the owner and he would call if anything was going on. We seldom had complaints. Apparently, there are Big Name Entertainers in the Tranny world and they would sell out shows.
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