Steve Atkinson

When dangerous anti-LGBT legislation comes in the Texas Legislature, we all must heed the call to speak up

Steve Atkinson | Special Contributor

In the 2019 Texas legislative session, 20 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed. The attacks on our community focus on two issues.

Several of the bills seek to limit local control for cities and towns in ways that could endanger non-discrimination ordinances currently providing protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, such as the Dallas ordinance that was enacted 17 years ago.

A frightening group of other bills that equality opponents label as “religious freedom” protections are actually intended to open the doors for unfettered discrimination against LGBTQ people in our state, specifying that the discrimination is allowed and can’t be prevented or punished in any way if those who chose to discriminate are doing it because of their “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

These bills would make it possible for those who hate us to refuse to serve us in public establishments, refuse to rent residences to us and even refuse to provide medical services to us. Government officials could also refuse to issue marriage licenses to us if some of these bills passed.

In the past few weeks, I and many others have trekked to Austin to testify at legislative committee hearings on some of this proposed legislation. Most of the bills would set back our rights in potentially catastrophic ways.

The first hearing I attended this year was one of the longest ones that has ever been held in the Texas Capitol, lasting almost 12 hours from 7 p.m. to 6:40 a.m. Last week’s hearing lasted a mere seven hours, ending at midnight.

Passionate and diverse representatives of our community and allies from throughout the state were there both times. They spoke eloquently about their lives, their families and, in many cases, about discrimination they have faced. Many on the other side spoke ignorantly, with hatred, telling unbelievably offensive and egregious lies.

It is heartening that we have some fantastic members of the Texas Legislature, such as the Dallas area’s own freshman Reps. Julie Johnson and Jessica Gonzalez, and other members of the Texas Legislature’s first-ever LGBTQ State Caucus. Those elected officials and their staff welcome us into their offices and are doing all they can to work with us and to protect our rights.

It would be hard to make up crazier things than much of what we heard people saying in their testimony on other bills (including some who think Texas should secede from the United States) and in testimony supporting the anti-LGBTQ proposals.

A favorite of mine was a woman who started by saying she was an attorney and explaining that she understands that laws should have no link with the U.S. Constitution. Ponder that one for a spell. One “counselor” who testified explained that our current laws prevent her from practicing her religious beliefs freely. But when one of the state representatives questioned her, she could not clarify what state or federal laws prevent her free exercise of religion.

Some witnesses talked about ministers being forced to officiate at gay marriages, which is an absolute lie, because that has never once happened in Texas or anywhere in our country. An amazing number of those who spoke in favor of discriminatory legislation basically said nothing factual or coherent in their testimony at all; they just rambled on about how they love Jesus.

It’s funny — and sad — that many of the self-proclaimed religious folks who fight so hard against us have no qualms about lying over and over.

I grew up Southern Baptist. From what I learned of Christianity’s teachings about how we should treat our fellow humans, the main commandment is to love and not judge others. I missed learning that my religion was supposed to embolden me to discriminate against others.

But, as it has throughout history, religion is being used to justify many reprehensible actions. Sadly, that will probably never cease to be true.

I firmly believe that those who work fervently now to limit or set back our rights are doing so not because they truly believe their religion demands it of them, but because they are operating out of hatred and bigotry towards us. Only truly ignorant people could actually believe that their religious liberties are infringed upon because a gay couple eats in their restaurant, or because they lease an apartment to lesbians, or because they provide medical care to a transgender person.

Lately, I have often thought to myself, “I can’t believe we still have to fight this shit.” That has stuck with me since seeing it on a protest sign at one of the first big women’s marches of the MeToo movement and this nightmare that is the Trump era. I know lots of those who have been involved in gay activism for many years feel the same way.

Fortunately, the vast majority of Americans below a certain age are fully supportive of our rights and equality. They don’t give a damn about keeping us from getting married, don’t want to discriminate against us in any way and don’t want laws allowing others to do that.

In all the decades since the gay rights movement gained its fervor and officially started 50 years ago at the Stonewall Inn, there have been battles to protect the rights of LGBTQ citizens in the Texas Legislature. Section 21.06 of the Texas Penal Code, which outlawed consensual gay sex, remains written in Texas Law, despite being ruled unconstitutional in 2003 by the U.S. Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas. Texas has no state laws that protect us from discrimination in the workplace or in any other area.

The only piece of Texas legislation addressing rights or protections based on sexual orientation that has ever been enacted is the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, which was passed in 2001. Sadly, that law still doesn’t include protections based on gender identity.

Since it was founded 30 years ago, Equality Texas (formerly the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas) has led the work in Austin and throughout our state to protect and advance the rights of LGBTQ Texans. I have been honored to serve on its board twice: for a decade ending in 2004, and again for the last three years.

The dedication and passion of the EQTX staff, board members, volunteers and supporters are marvelous. Equality Texas has a stellar track record of defeating horrific legislation that would have limited our rights and relegated us to second-class citizenship, and that work includes defeating proposed laws that would have done things like prevent same-sex couples from adopting or being foster parents.

As I have said often and believe strongly, EQTX is the first organization to which every LGBTQ Texan should donate if they can afford to do so, because the fight for equality begins at home! I encourage you to become involved with this work as a volunteer and donor. All of us are needed now more than ever as we continue the fight for our rights.

The 86th Texas Legislature ends May 27. Until then, we must be diligent in our work to ensure that our lives, our families, our freedoms and our rights are not harmed or diminished. If you are not on the EQTX email list, please immediately go to equalitytexas.org and sign up for it, and then heed the calls that you will get when crucial actions are needed such as contacting members of the Legislature.

Our collective voices — raised with lawmakers and later at the ballot box — are all that stand between us and those who would strip us of our basic rights.

Steve Atkinson, a Realtor with Dave Parry-Miller Real Estate, is a longtime LGBT activist and is vice-chair of Equality Texas Foundation.