Republicans Didn’t Pass Priority Bills, but Succeeded in Punishing Trans Texans

Photo by Jana Birchum

Yes, the Republicans showcased their quarrelsome nature on a variety of subjects this session, but there is one area in which the Grand Old Party stands united: dehumanizing trans people.

The primary vehicle for their attack this session was Senate Bill 14, which would ban all forms of gender affirming care for minors, particularly puberty blockers. This care is the only medically approved means for treating gender dysphoria, which can cause anxiety and a desire to kill oneself if left untreated. The ACLU of Texas, Lambda Legal, and the Transgender Law Center have pledged to fight SB 14 in court once it becomes law.

Republicans also approved SB 15, which will stop trans people from playing on their gender's college sports teams. They also took advantage of right-wing voters' sudden anti-drag hysteria, passing SB 12. The term "drag" was removed from the bill at the last minute but it still should work as intended, criminalizing performances before minors that appeal to a "prurient interest in sex," that make use of "accessories or prosthetics that exaggerate male or female sexual characteristics," and that include "sexual gesticulations."

Somehow, however, Republicans failed to pass SB 1072, the Texas version of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law. The bill would have banned teachers from mentioning gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms from prekindergarten to 12th grade.