For the past several weeks, the HRC Texas field team has been in Austin organizing members and supporters to take action during the Special Session.

We are working hard in our Austin field office, hosting actions around the clock before the Special Session ends Wednesday, August 16. HRC President Chad Griffin even came by to speak with and thank our volunteers.

“It’s giving people license to pick on our kids & single them out.
It’s making trans kids a target.” - A mom speaks out on #SB3. #TxLege pic.twitter.com/2py6r6Uxqt

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) August 14, 2017

While we’ve been away from our specific regions, volunteers on the ground have been hard at work activating our base. Here are some updates from across the state:

“Houston has weekly phone banks to get locals involved as well as University of Houston students since the location is the Nook Cafe, right off campus. Steven is our outstanding phone banks leader. He is a full-time student and works full-time as well but is one of our most enthusiastic volunteers. Houston is one of the largest/most diverse cities in the U.S. as well as a hub for large sports events including the Super Bowl, which will not return if this hateful legislation becomes law. The importance of the work being done in Houston is also crucial in combatting the dishonest statements  legislators mention about Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, the non-discriminatory ordinance that failed to pass in Houston because of lies that were spread by hateful groups about the ordinance.” - Andrea, Houston

“HRC-Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) has been engaged with grassroots supporters, the HRC Federal Team (and their many local events), the HRC DFW Steering Committee and our coalition partners. The field team has held phone banks and volunteer engagement activities throughout DFW and is currently holding two phone banks at the Dallas Democratic Party Headquarters every Tuesday and Friday 6-9 p.m. Amy and M.J. are two super volunteers who have been volunteering since the start. They know how to run a phone bank, recruit volunteers, organize a team of volunteers for activism days and so much more. They help me manage the day to day activities of the wide swath of geography that is DFW (bigger than some states!) and keep our team apprised of the community's engagements, attending as many as possible. They have worked closely with me as an organizer, igniting their interest for continuing this work in the 2018 elections and beyond. Most importantly, they have gained a stronger sense of self and have helped so many others do the same.” - Criss, DFW

“Members of the LGBTQ community in the Rio Grande Valley have welcomed HRC, taking the initiative to keep members of the community engaged and in contact with their representatives. This means that volunteers have been hosting phone banks and creating spaces to keep LGBTQ issues in the community dialogue even while the region itself has become even more politicized with recent plans by this current administration to create a more damaging and costly border wall. Instead of creating a competition, LGBTQ community members have shown how intersectional and crucial the issue of criminalization of trans and queer persons could become in a region where militarization and policing is only increasing.” -Erika, RGV

“In San Antonio, volunteers have been diligent with phone banking and collecting post cards to oppose the special session and the discriminatory bills tacked onto it. Volunteer Raul has been tabling at events across the city like First Friday and political events, where he has collected more than 100 postcards and made HRC a visible emblem of solidarity in the community.” - Isaac, San Antonio

HRC has a dozen staff on the ground in Austin, and, working with scores of volunteer organizers, has been leading field organizing efforts around the state to defeat anti-LGBTQ bills. Text "TX House" to 30644 today and tell your Texas State Representative to oppose all anti-LGBTQ bills amendments during the last days of the special session.