Texas GOP's new platform lls gay people 'abnormal' and rejects trans inti

Contents:

• TEXAS GOP'S NEW PLATFORM LLS GAY PEOPLE 'ABNORMAL' AND REJECTS TRANS INTI
• THE “GAYBORHOODS” OF TEXAS
• GAY TEXAS
• GAYT PLAC IN TEXAS FOR 2020
• THE 25 GAYT CI TEXAS
• MOVG TO GAY TEXAS? THG TO KNOW BEFORE RELOTG HERE AS AN LGBT PERSON.

TEXAS GOP'S NEW PLATFORM LLS GAY PEOPLE 'ABNORMAL' AND REJECTS TRANS INTI

The Texas Republin Party unveiled s official posn on LGBTQ issu over the weekend, fg homosexualy as an "abnormal liftyle choice" and also opposg "all efforts to validate transgenr inty. "Thoands of Republin activists met at the party’s biennial nventn Hoton on Saturday to agree to the party's platform on a range of issu, cludg the rejectn of the 2020 electn rults and a ll to repeal of the 1965 Votg Right Act, which was enacted to prevent discrimatn agast Black a sectn tled "Homosexualy and genr issu, " the party suggted that LGBTQ people should not be legally protected om discrimatn and that beg gay or trans is a choice. "Homosexualy is an abnormal liftyle choice, " the 40-page rolutn reads.

"We believe there should be no grantg of special legal entlements or creatn of special stat for homosexual behavr, regardls of state of orig, and we oppose any crimal or civil penalti agast those who oppose homosexualy out of fah, nvictn, or belief tradnal valu.

"The Texas Republin Party blocked the Log Cab Republins, a longstandg group of gay nservativ — which also supports many of the party’s anti-LGBTQ polici — om havg a booth at Saturday's nventn. "The party's new official stance on sexual orientatn and genr inty also cis wh a recent natnwi surge charged rhetoric om media punds and policians about LGBTQ recent months, nservative lawmakers, televisn punds and other public figur have acced opponents of a newly enacted Florida tn legislatn — which crics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law — of tryg to “groom” or “doctrate” children.

THE “GAYBORHOODS” OF TEXAS

The word “groomg” has long been associated wh mischaracterizg LGBTQ people, particularly gay men and transgenr women, as child sex abers. They were among several bills the Legislature nsired that would brg major chang to the liv of gay and transgenr Texans.

GAY TEXAS

But the lower chamber didn’t brg the amend legislatn up for nsiratn, killg the Senate’s third attempt at phg what crics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” provisn. Crics say the provisns about LGBTQ lsons — patterned on ntroversial “Don’t Say Gay” law om Florida — nta vague language that uld stifle even rmal discsn about LGBTQ people, such as teachers discsg their same-sex spo.

The Republin Party of Texas, which oppos any efforts to validate transgenr inti and claims that homosexualy is “an abnormal liftyle choice, ” also nsirs banng the “teachg, exposure, and/or discsn of sexual matters (mechanics, feelgs, orientatn, or ‘genr inty’ issu)” to be a legislative prry. One bill signalg a shift opn toward the LGBTQ muny was Hoe Bill 2055, which would have repealed the state law crimalizg gay sex.

Venton Jon, a Dallas Democrat who is the first Black, gay and openly HIV-posive lawmaker to serve at the Capol. Texas’ “gayborhoods” aren’t jt neighborhoods wh rabow-pated crosswalks at their tersectns; they’re historic muni where Texas pri and gay pri tersect ever-fascatg unison.

GAYT PLAC IN TEXAS FOR 2020

Their one-of-a-kd rtrants, vivac nightclubs, and lovable lols crown the gayborhoods as attractive statns—no matter where you fall on the sexualy spectm. In 1947, one of the first gay bars Texas, Club Reno, opened Dallas, heraldg the cy’s LGBTQ muny as one of the earlit to form the state. As that group grew to over 3, 000 while marchg through downtown, Dallas beme the se of the first gay pri para all of Texas.

The marker ss at “The Gay Crossroads, ” loted at the tersectn of Throckmorton Street and Cedar Sprgs.

The sign’s backdrop is JR’s Bar & Grill, an inic gay club that has served Amerin eats sce 1980 wh regular drag queen and celebry appearanc. Next door is Statn 4, known to lols as S4, a 24, 000-square-foot nightclub and gay utopia sce 1986. Also at “The Gay Crossroads” tersectn is Sue Ellen’s, nsired to be the olst lbian bar the state.

THE 25 GAYT CI TEXAS

The Montrose neighborhood Hoton was found 1911 and had an timated 30 to 40 gay bars by the late ’70s. In June of 1977, LGBTQ advote Ray Hill anized a rally prott of sger and anti-gay activist Ana Bryant visg the cy. More than 1, 000 people showed up, which began the gay liberatn movement Montrose and led Hill to help tablish The Montrose Center, an anizatn still operatg today that foc not only on advocy but also on offerg rourc to the muny.

Ls than five wt downtown, Montrose featur gayborhood stapl like permanently stalled rabow crosswalks and historic saloons. RIPCORD opened 1980 and has the distctn of beg the olst gay leather bar Texas.

San Anton’s Ma Avenue is terchangeably referred to as “The Strip” and “The Gay Strip, ” but ’s gay no matter what you ll . Loted jt north of downtown, Tob Hill, this central gayborhood district don’t fall short on rabow flair.

MOVG TO GAY TEXAS? THG TO KNOW BEFORE RELOTG HERE AS AN LGBT PERSON.

Also on June 26 is The Strip’s Pri Block Party, an -person event to memorate Pri Month the gayborhood. In 2016, Luther’s hosted a spontaneo meetg wh San Anton Police Chief William McMan to discs the rponse of lol law enforcement after the tragic mass shootg at a gay nightclub Orlando, Florida.

A short stri over a nearby rabow crosswalk will land you at the pnacle of gay nightlife San Anton, North Ma Avenue’s bar strip. Johnson said the Texas fdgs uld be part bee, like California, there are several large ci across the has the largt lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr populatn—2. This inic gay bar is named after Dallas's very own JR.

Servg up food, fun and ftivi, JR's Bar and Grill is loted the popular Cedar Sprgs area, jt moments om the gay nightlife. This is our sixth time rankg the gayt plac left for slishow. Article ntu the Supreme Court led favor of same-sex marriag, Ameri generally, and the gay muny specifilly, celebrated.