As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was delivering his “State of the State” address Sunday evening, Feb. 2, Equality Texas launched a statewide ad campaign focused on transgender lives and rights.
The 30-second ads feature three trans individuals — Ashton, Gio and Nadya — talking about life in their own words. Between the ads, Governor Abbott threatened to fire all LGBTQ-affirming teachers and threatened to scrub DEI practices from every corner of the state.
The ads, developed by GLAAD and GROUND Media, ran in Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, Harlingen, Houston, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, Tyler, Waco and Wichita Falls.
Twelve minutes into his speech Abbott committed to ending all DEI practices in K-12 schools and railed against the so-called “woke agenda,” a press release from Equality Texas noted.
The governor reiterated his commitment to exclude trans students from school sports, legislation he signed into law in 2021.
Abbott then insisted that any teachers who affirm or support trans young people “should be fired on the spot.” Studies have shown that an affirming community can reduce suicidal ideation among trans young people, and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation increases suicidal ideation, according to the press release.
For Abbott, freedom is conditional. If any teacher dares to give hope to young LGBTQ+ students, Abbott will fire them. That’s not freedom.”
Brad Pritchett, Equality Texas’ interm CEO
Equality Texas’ Interim CEO Brad Pritchett said, “Gov. Abbott talks a big talk, but he doesn’t know the first thing about freedom. Freedom demands that every Texan have the right to love, think, feel and act according to their own conscience. Yet, for Abbott, freedom is conditional. If any teacher dares to give hope to young LGBTQ+ students, Abbott will fire them.
“That’s not freedom.”
Equality Texas’ press release also pointed out that, in the last legislative session, more than 140 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills were filed, many of which explicitly targeted trans people living in the state. Only a few weeks into the 99 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been filed.
Since his inauguration on Jan. 20, the press released noted, President Trump has issued executive orders that commit to ostracizing trans people, preventing discussion of LGBTQIA+ issues in public schools, eliminating health care for trans youth, ending DEI practices in federal agencies, preventing trans Americans from serving in the armed forces and dehumanizing trans inmates in federal prisons.
And, “Demonstrating his fealty to the new administration, Greg Abbott has more than once parroted Trump’s federal policies, effectively saying ‘ditto’ in legalese,” the press release said.
Items on Governor Abbott’s list of priorities are the only bills allowed to move during the first 60 days of the legislative session.
— Tammye Nash