New bill aims to block transgender Texans from participating in school athletics

The Texas House Committee on Public Education is considering a bill, already passed by the State Senate, which could be used to ban transgender students on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) from athletic participation by allowing the University Interscholastic League (UIL) to label their medical treatment as steroid use. Currently, the UIL already bars the use of steroids but protects students…

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Texas House passes bill that uses religion as a weapon to harm LGBTQ families

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas House of Representatives today passed House Bill 3859, a bill that would allow state-funded or private adoption agencies to cite religion as a reason for refusing adoption requests by LGBTQ couples, as well as Jewish, Muslim, single Americans, or interfaith couples, in the state of Texas. HB 3859 is one…

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Hundreds of prominent faith leaders oppose anti-LGBTQ measures advancing in Texas Legislature

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Prominent faith leaders from across the country joined forces today in urging Texas legislators to oppose a series of anti-LGBTQ measures advancing rapidly through the state legislature, specifically calling out controversial anti-trans bathroom bills, HB 2899 and SB 6, and several religious refusal bills that provide businesses and government entities a license to…

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Texas students speak out against anti-LGBTQ state bills with ‘Students Against Hate’ rallies

NEW YORK – This week, GLAAD teamed up with Texas college students for “Student Against Hate” rallies across the state where they protested the close to 25 anti-LGBTQ bills, including HB 2899 — a bill that would void non-discrimination protections for transgender Texans, currently up for debate in the Texas Capitol in Austin. In cities…

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Transgender Texan students under attack: Texas youth speak out (VIDEO)

NEW YORK – As anti-LGBTQ politicians in Texas continue to introduce and vote on anti-LGBTQ measures like Senate Bill 6 and House Bill 2899 – which both target and discriminate transgender Texans, Teen Vogue premiered a new video by GLAAD called “Transgender Texans Under Attack: Students Speak Out,” featuring Texas college students who are seeing…

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Texas lawmakers to debate new ‘bathroom bill’

AUSTIN, Texas –The Texas House of Representatives plans to introduce a new “bathroom bill” that mimics North Carolina’s so-called “repeal” to its HB 2. Texas’s HB 2899 would invalidate all existing local non-discrimination LGBTQ ordinances in Texas and pave the way for future anti-LGBTQ bills that could further harm all LGBTQ Texans. The Dallas News…

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Texas Senate advances anti-transgender SB 6

AUSTIN, Texas — Today, the Texas Senate advanced SB 6 — titled the “Privacy Protection Act” — a bill expressly intended to discriminate against and block facility access for transgender Texans. The full Senate voted to advance the legislation by a vote of 21-10. The bill would overturn non-discrimination ordinances currently providing critical protections in…

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NBA warns Texas lawmakers anti-LGBTQ bills could affect All-Star Game bids

The National Basketball Association, has warned Texas lawmakers that any legislative attack on LGBTQ people would factor into a decision as to where big-ticket games, such as the All-Star Game, would be played. The NBA joins the NFL in issuing a warning to lawmakers in Texas, after the National Football League cautioned last week that…

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Texas and Wyoming getting ready to pass key anti-LGBT legislation

In an anti-LGBT legislation update the ACLU has highlighted two states where lawmakers are gearing up to pass anti-LGBT bills. “Legislatures across the country are starting the year aggressively, with 15 states considering nearly 40 anti-LGBT bills in just the first two weeks of January,” said Eunice Rho, ACLU Advocacy & Policy Counsel. “A significant…

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SSA grants spousal benefits to Texas widow in Lambda Legal case

Today Lambda Legal and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare announced the resolution of a lawsuit against the Social Security Administration (SSA) brought on behalf of Kathy Murphy, a Texas widow denied spousal benefits after the death of her wife, and the National Committee. “The basic tenets of the Social Security program…

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