Tarrant County Stonewall Democrats on Monday, May 13, issued its Stonewall Legislative Report, updating the status of six anti-LGBTQ bills currently making their way through the Texas Legislature and encouraged LGBTQ Texans and their allies to speak out against passage of the measures.
The TCSD report notes that the majority of bills introduced in the Legislature this year and that have any chance of passing have been assigned to committees in the respective chambers of the Legislature. Bills that have passed one chamber — either the House or the Senate — and have been sent to the other chamber for a vote include:
• SB 13. Relating to a school district’s library materials and catalog, the creation of local school library advisory councils and parental rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the parent’s child to library materials. This bill creates a mechanism for banning books in school libraries that include LGBTQ references.
• SB 18: Relating to prohibiting municipal libraries that host certain events from receiving state or other public funding. Drag Queen story hours are the target.
• SB 406: Relating to the required inclusion of a person’s sex on a birth certificate and prohibited change of sex on the birth certificate of certain persons.
• SB 689: Relating to employment practices regarding diversity and prohibiting the implementation
of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives by certain governmental entities.
• HB 1655: Relating to a policy prohibiting public school employees from assisting a student with social transitioning and to the loss of state funding for a violation by a public school. The bill prohibits school employees from using or allowing preferred names, hair styles or clothing and the use of preferred gender identity pronouns.
• SB 37: Relating to the governance of public institutions of higher education, including review of curriculum and certain degree and certificate programs, a faculty council or senate, training for members of the governing board, and the establishment of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Office of the Ombudsman; authorizing a civil penalty. This bill will initiate punishment for use of “woke” curriculum, activities or practices in colleges and universities.
“When these bills are sent to the floor for a vote, it is time to call your representative or senator and ask them to vote NO on the bill,” the Stonewall report urges. “You don’t have to give a reason; the staff person will register your request and ask for your name and address.
“Check your voter registration card to see who represents you in Austin.”
You can track the status of all bills introduced in the Texas Legislature this session at the Texas Capitol website.
Equality Texas has information on its website tracking all LGBTQ-related legislation.
To find out who represents you, visit the Tarrant County website.
— Tammye Nash