LGBTQ advocates tout bills at Capitol
Push comes as GOP promotes measures called discriminatory
As Republican state lawmakers introduce dozens of bills that target LGBTQ Texans, advocates and Democrats are planning to again protest at the Capitol to oppose that legislation and instead push measures that would support the community.
Activists said there have been more than 100 bills filed that would help LGBTQ people, including measures that would automatically test people for HIV, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and outlaw “conversion therapy.” They gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday to promote those bills ahead of Wednesday’s rally for Trans Advocacy Day.
“The dream of America, the dream of Texas, should be no less true for your LGBTQ neighbors than it is for every other Texan in this state,” said Ricardo Martinez, the CEO of Equality Texas.
Most of the measures have little chance of passing in the Senate, where Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released a list of 30 priority bills last month that includes proposals to stop children from attending drag shows; to remove “obscene” books from school libraries; to prevent transgender children from obtaining gender-affirming care, such as puberty blockers; and to ban transgender student-athletes from participating in college sports that align with their gender identity.
Republicans say the proposals will shield children from inappropriate or sexualized content, and they argue the sports ban is necessary to keep a level playing field. Many of the library books that GOP lawmakers have taken issue with over the past two years have been written by LGBTQ authors and discuss sexuality and gender identity.
State Sen. Donna Campbell, a New Braunfels Republican who has authored one of several bills
this session to ban gender-affirming care, said that measure is akin to laws preventing children from getting tattooed in Texas “due to their life-altering permanence.”
“We must recognize that children are simply not prepared to make similar life-altering decisions about their gender and bodies,” she said.
Opponents argue these proposals will harm an already-vulnerable community that has been caught in the middle of misinformation campaigns and culture wars.
“We’re talking about a state Legislature that’s seeking — despite science, despite peer-reviewed data, despite medical professionals telling us how to take care of kids — we’re looking at a state that’s trying to destroy them,” said Emmett Schelling, a transgender man who leads the Transgender Education Network of Texas. “Where’s the pride in that?”
Democratic lawmakers have proposed dozens of alternatives, though many of them will not get a hearing this session.
HIV testing requirements
One area for bipartisanship could be HIV testing, as politicians on both sides of the aisle have historically pledged to eradicate the incurable virus that, if left untreated, can lead to AIDS.
State Rep. Venton Jones, DDallas, touted a pair of his bills — HBs 2235 and 3377 — that would change the current optin HIV testing protocol to an opt-out system requiring the tests in routine medical screenings.
“We know, time after time again, that opt-in testing has proven to be ineffective against stopping the spread of new HIV cases,” Jones said. “It is extremely important and critical for people to get tested for HIV if we are to end the HIV epidemic once and for all. A late HIV diagnosis can lead to the progression of HIV, as well as lead to additional HIV cases due to unknown transmission.”
Advocates also have highlighted House Bill 496, authored by state Rep. Terry Meza, D-Irving, that would ban the “conversion therapy” practices that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Our counselors have seen firsthand the trauma inflicted by this discredited practice that teaches children to hate themselves and tries to change them into something that they are not,” said Christopher Hamilton, the CEO of Texas Health Action.
State Sen. José Menéndez, DSan Antonio, said the LGBTQ community also has support in the Senate, despite its more conservative makeup. State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, tried to introduce a resolution there last month to recognize LGBTQ-owned businesses but was told she would face opposition from her Republican colleagues and withdrew it.
Menéndez mentioned a few of his own bills, including Senate Bill 110, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Another measure, Senate Bill 111, would repeal statutes that criminalize “homosexual conduct.”
“It is time that Texas acknowledges and welcomes … the members of the LGBTQ community without hesitation, without discrimination, without questions,” he said.