About 1.8 million Texans are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender — the second-highest such population for any U.S. State — according to the Public Policy Institute of California. In recent years, state officials and lawmakers have pursued legislation and policies that could dramatically affect LGBTQ Texans’ lives. Texas Tribune reporters are covering LGBTQ Texans’ lives and how these bills, laws and directives impact them.
Originally pitched as an effort to restrict children from seeing certain drag shows, the House and Senate agreed on a version of the bill that could still ensnare LGBTQ performers. Full Story
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Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Ximena Lopez started a clinic for trans youth in 2014. But she’s leaving Texas ahead of an expected law that would ban transition-related care for minors. Full Story
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The defections have sparked feelings of betrayal and promises of retribution, particularly as Republicans in the Legislature have presented a unified front. Full Story
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For the third time, the Senate is pushing a proposal critics say will ignore the existence of LGBTQ people in every grade level. Two other bills that contained similar language missed key legislative deadlines. Full Story
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The bill no longer targets drag performers, but LGBTQ advocates say the legislation’s vague language could still be used to criminalize such shows. Full Story
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The Legislature recently passed a bill that would bar minors from receiving this medical care, but it has not yet been signed or gone into effect. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott said he will sign Senate Bill 14 into law, which will make Texas one of over a dozen states that restrict transition-related care for transgender minors. Legal groups have already pledged to challenge it in court. Full Story
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Senate Bill 15 would allow people to sue colleges or universities they believe violate a prohibition on trans athletes’ sports participation. Full Story
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Attorney General Ken Paxton previously announced an investigation into “potentially illegal” activity. Parents are scrambling to find transition-related care for their kids as the Legislature appears poised to ban it altogether. Full Story
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The House approved a bill Monday that would ban doctors from providing transition-related care to children. It now heads back to the Senate, which can accept the changes or ask for a committee to iron out the chambers’ differences. Full Story
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In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Texas’ law banning sodomy in 2003. It took almost 20 years for Democrats to get a bill to repeal the defunct ban on the House calendar. Full Story
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Senate Bill 14 spurred protests that led to altercations with state police earlier this week. Bill supporters and opponents again showed up at the Capitol for an expected vote Friday. Full Story
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Senate Bill 14, which spurred demonstrations earlier this week, is again scheduled for House debate Friday. Trans Texans consider it one of this year’s most consequential bills. Full Story
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House Bills 3377 and 2235 were authored by freshman state Rep. Venton Jones, the Legislature’s first openly HIV-positive member. They’ve received overwhelming public and bipartisan support. Full Story
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Texas state police detained and handcuffed people protesting legislation that would prohibit transgender kids from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapy. The House separately delayed a vote on Senate Bill 14 until later this week. Full Story
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As Texas House members could soon vote to ban transition-related care for minors, many lives are in limbo, and trans kids like 16-year-old Randell are grappling with difficult decisions. Full Story
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The Senate advanced a bill that could create such high financial risks for doctors and health insurers that they’d stop providing or covering gender-affirming care — even for adults. Full Story
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Other legislation this session has targeted school library books, which are optional reading materials, but House Bill 1804 might be the first to go after textbooks that teachers use for their lessons. Full Story
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The policy comes as LGBTQ advocates are fighting a wave of hostile legislation at the Capitol, including proposals to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender children. Full Story
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With six weeks remaining in the legislative session, advocates implored Texans to join the “resistance” against fast-moving efforts to curb health care, drag queens, education, trans athletes and more. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers this year are debating whether to block transgender kids’ access to transition-related health care, classify businesses that host drag shows as sexually oriented establishments and limit public school lessons on sexuality and gender identity. Read more
Senate Bill 14 would ban doctors from providing transition-related care to children. This is the furthest point the measure has reached in the Legislature. Read more
As bill banning transition-related care for minors moves through the Legislature, many lives are in limbo, and trans kids like 16-year-old Randell are grappling with difficult decisions. Read more
The Tribune analyzed more than two dozen anti-drag protests. Opponents frequently characterized the drag events as catering to children, even when businesses advertised them as adults-only or provided warnings about the potential for explicit material. Read more
