Post submitted by David Topping, HRC Texas Field Manager

Last month, ten Senate Democrats in Texas stood up for the LGBTQ community by speaking against the anti-transgender bill SB 6. During the Senate hearing and on the floor, these ten legislators took their colleagues to task for pushing discrimination against the LGBTQ community. As a thank you, HRC Federal Club member Danielle Skidmore and local HRC volunteer Steve Alcocer delivered framed “Thank You” cards to the ten heroes. These cards were signed with the names of constituents and other advocates who came to Austin for All In For Equality Advocacy Day on March 20.

SB 6 -- dishonestly titled the “Privacy Protection Act” -- is a bill expressly intended to discriminate against and block facility access for transgender Texans. The bill would overturn non-discrimination ordinances currently providing critical protections in several major Texas cities; further, it would force state agencies, municipalities, public schools and public universities to discriminate against transgender people. By making it illegal for transgender people in Texas to be afforded access to facilities consistent with their identity, it opens them up to increased discrimination and harassment as they simply live their everyday lives. It also exposes Texas to tremendous risk of the kind of financial, legal, and political blowback that North Carolina has reckoned since the passage of HB2.

Volunteer to join us.

HRC has opened four offices throughout Texas: Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio. We have a team of five organizers working to mobilize our members and supporters against anti-LGBTQ discrimination. Live in Texas and want to get more involved in the fight against discrimination in Texas? Contact HRC Texas Field Manager David Topping for more info.