While the Texas legislature doesn’t meet this year (unless Gov. Greg Abbott calls a special session), we can expect a barrage of anti-LGBTQ bills next January. And to get an idea of what we have to look forward to, look to Florida, where much of the homophobic and transphobic legislation originates.
The latest anti-LGBTQ bill would ban Pride flags from government property including schools. The wording is a ban on flags that “represent a political viewpoint, including, but not limited to, a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.” So Black Lives Matter flags an banners would also be banned.
The bill also bans lapel pins, but it’s not clear if the ban extends to campaign buttons, since those are politically partisan.
Should a version of the law pass in Texas next year, it would make the Dallas city Pride flag, which is legally mandated to fly over city facilities in June, illegal.
— David Taffet
