I just received an e-mail alert from from my Texas Legislature bill-tracker saying a public hearing has been scheduled on HB 1323, which would require school districts to report incidents of bullying and harrassment based on sexual orientation/gender identity. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin. The public hearing is scheduled for March 31 before the House Committee on Public Education. This will be the second pro-equality bill to receive a committee hearing this session. A bill seeking a study of the state’s hate crimes act passed out of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence on March 11. Incidentally, these two bills are viewed as having the best chance of passing this year of the 16 bills Equality Texas is backing. For more info, go to www.equalitytexas.org or www.legis.state.tx.us.
This is great news and an opportunity to start dialog and create forums in schools to make this a teachable moment. We can change those young minds around before they find themselves in a court room facing several years of they life behind bars and destroying two families by lifting a hand in the name of righteous indignation.
Thank you John for this article.