The Texas-Sized Anti-Gay Backlash

Contents:

• TEXAS GOP'S NEW PLATFORM LLS GAY PEOPLE 'ABNORMAL' AND REJECTS TRANS INTI
• TEXAS GOP PLATFORM EMBRAC FAR-RIGHT AND ANTI-GAY RHETORIC
• GAY FURRY HACKERS ARE TARGETG US STAT FOR PASSG ANTI-TRANS LEGISLATN
• TEXAS GOP PLATFORM EMBRAC FAR-RIGHT AND ANTI-GAY RHETORIC
• THE TEXAS-SIZED ANTI-GAY BACKLASHALL HATOVER 20 ANTI-LGBT LAWS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TEXAS THIS YEAR, CLUDG ONE JT LIKE THE MALIGNED BILL THAT PASSED INDIANA THIS WEEK. BUT ADVOT SAY THEY’RE NOT GOG TO PASS.JAY MICHAELSONUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 11:56AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 29, 2015 6:45AM EDT BOB DAEMMRICH/NEWSBY NOW, ANYONE WHO FOLLOWS THE NEWS KNOWS WHAT THE ANTI-LGBT BACKLASH LOOKS LIKE. THERE ARE FOUR RECURRG LEGISLATIVE ACTNS: “RELIG FREEDOM RTORATN ACTS” (RFRAS), OR “TURN THE GAYS AWAY” BILLS. THE MOST RECENT ONE GOT PASSED INDIANA LAST WEEK TO MUCH UPROAR. THEN THERE ARE VAR WAYS TO OPT OUT OF REGNIZG LEGAL SAME-SEX MARRIAG. AND DON’T FET “BATHROOM BILLS” THAT PREVENT TRANSGENR PEOPLE OM G THE APPROPRIATELY-GENRED BATHROOM, OR THE STATE LAWS PROHIBG CI OM PROTECTG LGBTS.OR, IF YOU’RE TEXAS, ALL OF THE ABOVE. AND THEN SOME.AS REPORTED BY THE TEXAS OBSERVER, LAWMAKERS THE STATE THAT GAVE RICK PERRY AND GEE W. BH HAVE PROPOSED OVER 20 ANTI-LGBT LAWS THIS LEGISLATIVE SSN.ALSO REFLECTG NATNAL TRENDS, THE BATCH OF HATE BILLS RANG OM THE FAIAR TO THE BIZARRE. IN THE FORMER TEGORY ARE ALL FOUR OF THE UAL PROPOSALS: AN ENHANCED RFRA (TEXAS HAS HAD A REGULAR RFRA SCE 1999), BATHROOM BILL, MARRIAGE REFAL, AND TRANS BANS. THIS IS NOT A CINCE, SCE, NOTWHSTANDG THE “STAT RIGHTS” RHETORIC, THE LAWS ARE UALLY WRTEN BY NATNAL NSERVATIVE ANIZATNS LIKE ALLIANCE DEFENDG FREEDOM, WHOSE PREV CREDS CLU CALIFORNIA’S PROPOSN 8 AND THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT (DOMA). IT’S A NICE IRONY: BELTWAY WONKS WRG “STAT RIGHTS” LAWS.BUT THIS IS TEXAS, AFTER ALL, AND SO EVERYTHG IS BIGGER—CLUDG THE UNTEND NSEQUENC OF THE BACKLASH.FIRST, TWO OF THE 20 ANTI-GAY PROPOSALS ARE NSTUTNAL AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD BASILLY PUT TEXAS’S RFRA ON STEROIDS. MOST RFRAS HAVE THE SAME FORMULA: GOVERNMENT MAY NOT “SUBSTANTIALLY BURN” RELIG EXERCISE WHOUT A PELLG STATE TERT. BUT TEXAS SJR 10 AND HJR 55 WOULD REMOVE “SUBSTANTIALLY.”UNLIKE A LOT OF LEGALE, THAT WORD N MOVE MOUNTAS. IF ANY BURN ON EE EXERCISE, NO MATTER HOW SLIGHT, IS FORBIDN, THEN ’S EASY FOR ANY LIGANT TO CLAIM A MIMIS BURN AND PREVAIL URT. AS SOMEONE WHO KEEPS KOSHER, FOR EXAMPLE, FELY BURNS MY EXERCISE OF RELIGN NOT TO HAVE KOSHER FOOD AT THE ALAMO. NOT A SUBSTANTIAL BURN, BUT A BURN NOHELS. BRG ON THE HEBREW NATNAL!OR, TO TAKE AN EXAMPLE OM THE RFRA FIGHT GEIA, SUPPOSE MY READG OF THE NEW TTAMENT TELLS ME I SHOULD BE ABLE TO BEAT MY SPOE AND CHILD. IF ALL I NEED TO SHOW IS ANY BURN, SHOULD SURELY GET AN ACMODATN OM TEXAS.DO I EVEN NEED TO MENTN SHARIA LAW HERE? ANOTHER LIC IRONY: TEXAS’S NSERVATIV HATE GAYS SO MUCH, THEY’RE WILLG TO HELP MLIM FUNDAMENTALISTS.THEN THERE ARE THE THREE “BATHROOM BILLS” CIRCLG THE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE DRA. WHY THREE? WELL, ’S TEXAS.THE WNER OF TEXAS’S ALL-YOU-CAN-HATE NTT, HOWEVER, IS REPRENTATIVE CECIL BELL , WHO IS THE SPONSOR OF FOUR SEPARATE BILLS (AND A RGER FOR YOSEME SAM).BELL’S BILLS ARE ALL PRETTY BAD, BUT THE “PRERVATN OF SOVEREIGNTY AND MARRIAGE ACT” (POSAMA, OF URSE) IS THE KICKER. REMEMBER THE REPUBLIN-NCEIVED BAN ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOLDG A REFERENDUM ON MEDIL MARIJUANA? THEY KNEW THEY WOULD LOSE, SO THEY FORBID D.C. OM SPENDG EVEN A PENNY TO UNT THE VOT. BELL’S BILL IS SIAR. IT WOULD PROHIB THE E OF TAXPAYER FUNDS TO LICENSE A SAME-SEX MARRIAGE.SO, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE A NSTUTNAL RIGHT TO GET MARRIED—BUT, ALAS, WE DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO REGISTER .THIS LAST WEEK, HOWEVER, THE TEXAS HOE COMMTEE ON STATE AFFAIRS SPENT WHO KNOWS HOW MANY TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON TWO HOURS’ WORTH OF TTIMONY ON “BIBLIL” MARRIAGE (POLYGAMY—THOUGH I DOUBT THAT WAS MENTNED), FERALISM, AND SO ON.INTERTGLY, POSAMA MAY END UP LOSG BEE OF ANOTHER OF S PROVISNS: SHIFTG THE THORY OF MARRIAGE LICENS OM UNTY CLERKS (WHO ARE LOLLY BASED AND MAY VARY THEIR PRACTIC) TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE. COUNTY ERNMENTS ARE OUTRAGED, SCE THEY PEND ON THE REVENUE OM MARRIAGE LICENS.IRONILLY, THE NFERATE-RHETORIC-SPEWG CECIL BELL ENDS UP BEG A PARTISAN FOR CENTRALIZED ERNMENT OVER LOL NTROL—AND HAS MA UNEXPECTED ENEMI AS A RULT.NOW, I’VE MA PLENTY OF TEXAS JOK SO FAR, BUT THE TTH IS, THIS ISN’T YOUR GRANDPA’S LONTAR STATE ANYMORE. CONTRARY TO STEREOTYPE (AND RICK PERRY), THE BILLS MAY ALL DIE, FOR SEVERAL REASONS.FIRST IS THE MOST TERTG TREND TO EMERGE THE CULTURE WAR THIS YEAR: THE PTG OF REPUBLIN VERS REPUBLIN, OR BIG BS VERS THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT. IN TEXAS, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATN OF BS—THE STATE’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE—HAS OPPOSED THE RFRA-BOOSTG AMENDMENTS, S PRINT STATG THAT “THIS WILL CERTALY MAKE OUR STATE LOOK VERY MUCH UNWELG WHEN TO BS RECMENT.”AS ONE WOULD EXPECT, THE TAB DIDN’T MAKE MORAL ARGUMENTS; MA ENOMIC ON. TOYOTA IS MOVG S U.S. HEADQUARTERS TO PLANO, AND AS PART OF S RPORATE POLICY, WORKED TO PASS AN ANTI-DISCRIMATN LAW. ONE FORMER TAB CHAIR (A REPUBLIN) SAID THE LAWS WOULD PUT THE 2017 SUPER BOWL—SET FOR HOTON—AT RISK.THIS IS A NEW REALY. AND WHILE BS OPPOSN WASN’T ENOUGH TO STOP INDIANA’S RFRA OM PASSG LAST WEEK, TEXAS IS NOT INDIANA. THE TAB IS ENORMOLY FLUENTIAL, AND TEXAS BOASTS OF BEG PRO-BS—WHICH IS HARD TO DO WHEN YOU’RE OPPOSG YOUR CHAMBER OF MERCE.MORE BROADLY, THIS IS JT BAD PR. TEXAS HAS CHANGED, AND ARTICL LIKE THIS ONE UNDO A LOT OF THE PROGRS THE STATE HAS MA TO SHED S BACKWARD IMAGE. SURE, TEXANS ARE STILL WBOYS—BUT THEY DON’T WANT TO BE SEEN AS HICKS.IN FACT, TEXAS IS A LOT MORE DIVERSE THAN STEREOTYP MAY SUGGT, AND S BS-FIRST NSERVATISM IS OFTEN MORE RAND PL THAN RICK PERRY. MANY TEXAS REPUBLINS MAY NOT BE PRO-GAY, BUT BEG ANTI-GAY ISN’T REALLY AT THE TOP OF THEIR AGENDAS. IN FACT, ONE LBIAN STATE LEGISLATOR (OM AT, NATCH) HAS SAID THAT MIGHT BE BT TO JT N OUT THE CLOCK ON THE LEGISLATIVE SSN, WHILE LAWMAKERS FOC ON OTHER ISSU.READG BETWEEN THE L, THAT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE A REPUBLIN PRIVATELY SAYG, “I N’T OPPOSE THIS BILL, BUT I WON’T SUPPORT EHER.” STILL, OLD HABS DIE HARD, AND A STATE AS LARGE AS TEXAS, THERE’S A LOT OF IOLOGIL GROUND TO VER BETWEEN AT AND REPRENTATIVE BELL’S HOMETOWN OF MAGNOLIA (NOW AN EXURB OF HOTON).THERE’S ALSO A TREMENDO AMOUNT OF RHETORIL MISRMATN OUT THERE. ANTI-TRANS “BATHROOM BILLS” DON’T SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS: THERE ARE NO REPORTED S OF TRANSGENR WOMEN (“BLOGIL MEN” THE BILL’S SPONSOR’S WORDS) EXPLOG THEIR GENR INTY TO ASSLT WOMEN LOCKER ROOMS. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF S OF THOSE SAME TRANSGENR WOMEN—OFTEN DISTGUISHABLE OM CISGENR WOMEN—BEG BTALLY ASSLTED BY MEN. IN ADDN TO HATE AND FEAR, BATHROOM BILLS BPEAK A GREAT AL OF IGNORANCE OF WHO IS REALLY DANGER.NOR IS A S TO ARRANGE FLOWERS FOR A WEDDG. NOR IS A RPORATN’S OWNER MORALLY RPONSIBLE FOR HOW AN EMPLOYEE HER HEALTH SURANCE. NOR DO MAKE SENSE TO CHANT THE MANTRA OF “STAT RIGHTS” WHILE TRAMPLG ON LOL MUNI’ THORY TO PASS ANTI-DISCRIMATN LAWS.THE KDS OF RHETORIL SUBTERFUGE N BE VERY EFFECTIVE. (JT ASK HOBBY LOBBY.) “RELIG FREEDOM” BILLS DON’T SUCCEED WHEN PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY REALLY ARE. BUT LIKE A GOOD TEXAS GERMAN SSAGE, ’S SOMETIM HARD TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTG. JAY MICHAELSON

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.

TEXAS GOP PLATFORM EMBRAC FAR-RIGHT AND ANTI-GAY RHETORIC

"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 word “groomg” has long been associated wh mischaracterizg LGBTQ people, particularly gay men and transgenr women, as child sex abers.

Texas GOP platform embrac far-right and anti-gay rhetoric Texas Republins recently adopted homophobic and transphobic language their party platform, part of a larger trend of mov agast LGBTQ rights by nservativ.

GAY FURRY HACKERS ARE TARGETG US STAT FOR PASSG ANTI-TRANS LEGISLATN

Texas GOP platform embrac far-right and anti-gay rhetoric. Texas Republins recently adopted homophobic and transphobic language their party platform, part of a larger trend of mov agast LGBTQ rights by nservativ. LEILA FADEL, HOST: Texas Republins recently serted homophobic and transphobic language to the state party's platform.

But what Texas Republins had to say about gay rights and homosexualy and transgenr people really stands out. First and foremost, the party wrote that homosexualy is an abnormal liftyle choice.

They also clud language that says there shouldn't be any special legal protectns for gay, lbian and bisexual people, and they oppose any crimal or civil penalti agast people who oppose homosexualy. A LOPEZ: Well, you know, this was a tough event for gay Republins.

TEXAS GOP PLATFORM EMBRAC FAR-RIGHT AND ANTI-GAY RHETORIC

He sound a ltle trated that, like, gay rights and cln is even somethg the party is still batg. They were among several bills the Legislature nsired that would brg major chang to the liv of gay and transgenr Texans.

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 TEXAS-SIZED ANTI-GAY BACKLASHALL HATOVER 20 ANTI-LGBT LAWS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TEXAS THIS YEAR, CLUDG ONE JT LIKE THE MALIGNED BILL THAT PASSED INDIANA THIS WEEK. BUT ADVOT SAY THEY’RE NOT GOG TO PASS.JAY MICHAELSONUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 11:56AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 29, 2015 6:45AM EDT BOB DAEMMRICH/NEWSBY NOW, ANYONE WHO FOLLOWS THE NEWS KNOWS WHAT THE ANTI-LGBT BACKLASH LOOKS LIKE. THERE ARE FOUR RECURRG LEGISLATIVE ACTNS: “RELIG FREEDOM RTORATN ACTS” (RFRAS), OR “TURN THE GAYS AWAY” BILLS. THE MOST RECENT ONE GOT PASSED INDIANA LAST WEEK TO MUCH UPROAR. THEN THERE ARE VAR WAYS TO OPT OUT OF REGNIZG LEGAL SAME-SEX MARRIAG. AND DON’T FET “BATHROOM BILLS” THAT PREVENT TRANSGENR PEOPLE OM G THE APPROPRIATELY-GENRED BATHROOM, OR THE STATE LAWS PROHIBG CI OM PROTECTG LGBTS.OR, IF YOU’RE TEXAS, ALL OF THE ABOVE. AND THEN SOME.AS REPORTED BY THE TEXAS OBSERVER, LAWMAKERS THE STATE THAT GAVE RICK PERRY AND GEE W. BH HAVE PROPOSED OVER 20 ANTI-LGBT LAWS THIS LEGISLATIVE SSN.ALSO REFLECTG NATNAL TRENDS, THE BATCH OF HATE BILLS RANG OM THE FAIAR TO THE BIZARRE. IN THE FORMER TEGORY ARE ALL FOUR OF THE UAL PROPOSALS: AN ENHANCED RFRA (TEXAS HAS HAD A REGULAR RFRA SCE 1999), BATHROOM BILL, MARRIAGE REFAL, AND TRANS BANS. THIS IS NOT A CINCE, SCE, NOTWHSTANDG THE “STAT RIGHTS” RHETORIC, THE LAWS ARE UALLY WRTEN BY NATNAL NSERVATIVE ANIZATNS LIKE ALLIANCE DEFENDG FREEDOM, WHOSE PREV CREDS CLU CALIFORNIA’S PROPOSN 8 AND THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT (DOMA). IT’S A NICE IRONY: BELTWAY WONKS WRG “STAT RIGHTS” LAWS.BUT THIS IS TEXAS, AFTER ALL, AND SO EVERYTHG IS BIGGER—CLUDG THE UNTEND NSEQUENC OF THE BACKLASH.FIRST, TWO OF THE 20 ANTI-GAY PROPOSALS ARE NSTUTNAL AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD BASILLY PUT TEXAS’S RFRA ON STEROIDS. MOST RFRAS HAVE THE SAME FORMULA: GOVERNMENT MAY NOT “SUBSTANTIALLY BURN” RELIG EXERCISE WHOUT A PELLG STATE TERT. BUT TEXAS SJR 10 AND HJR 55 WOULD REMOVE “SUBSTANTIALLY.”UNLIKE A LOT OF LEGALE, THAT WORD N MOVE MOUNTAS. IF ANY BURN ON EE EXERCISE, NO MATTER HOW SLIGHT, IS FORBIDN, THEN ’S EASY FOR ANY LIGANT TO CLAIM A MIMIS BURN AND PREVAIL URT. AS SOMEONE WHO KEEPS KOSHER, FOR EXAMPLE, FELY BURNS MY EXERCISE OF RELIGN NOT TO HAVE KOSHER FOOD AT THE ALAMO. NOT A SUBSTANTIAL BURN, BUT A BURN NOHELS. BRG ON THE HEBREW NATNAL!OR, TO TAKE AN EXAMPLE OM THE RFRA FIGHT GEIA, SUPPOSE MY READG OF THE NEW TTAMENT TELLS ME I SHOULD BE ABLE TO BEAT MY SPOE AND CHILD. IF ALL I NEED TO SHOW IS ANY BURN, SHOULD SURELY GET AN ACMODATN OM TEXAS.DO I EVEN NEED TO MENTN SHARIA LAW HERE? ANOTHER LIC IRONY: TEXAS’S NSERVATIV HATE GAYS SO MUCH, THEY’RE WILLG TO HELP MLIM FUNDAMENTALISTS.THEN THERE ARE THE THREE “BATHROOM BILLS” CIRCLG THE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE DRA. WHY THREE? WELL, ’S TEXAS.THE WNER OF TEXAS’S ALL-YOU-CAN-HATE NTT, HOWEVER, IS REPRENTATIVE CECIL BELL , WHO IS THE SPONSOR OF FOUR SEPARATE BILLS (AND A RGER FOR YOSEME SAM).BELL’S BILLS ARE ALL PRETTY BAD, BUT THE “PRERVATN OF SOVEREIGNTY AND MARRIAGE ACT” (POSAMA, OF URSE) IS THE KICKER. REMEMBER THE REPUBLIN-NCEIVED BAN ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOLDG A REFERENDUM ON MEDIL MARIJUANA? THEY KNEW THEY WOULD LOSE, SO THEY FORBID D.C. OM SPENDG EVEN A PENNY TO UNT THE VOT. BELL’S BILL IS SIAR. IT WOULD PROHIB THE E OF TAXPAYER FUNDS TO LICENSE A SAME-SEX MARRIAGE.SO, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE A NSTUTNAL RIGHT TO GET MARRIED—BUT, ALAS, WE DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO REGISTER .THIS LAST WEEK, HOWEVER, THE TEXAS HOE COMMTEE ON STATE AFFAIRS SPENT WHO KNOWS HOW MANY TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON TWO HOURS’ WORTH OF TTIMONY ON “BIBLIL” MARRIAGE (POLYGAMY—THOUGH I DOUBT THAT WAS MENTNED), FERALISM, AND SO ON.INTERTGLY, POSAMA MAY END UP LOSG BEE OF ANOTHER OF S PROVISNS: SHIFTG THE THORY OF MARRIAGE LICENS OM UNTY CLERKS (WHO ARE LOLLY BASED AND MAY VARY THEIR PRACTIC) TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE. COUNTY ERNMENTS ARE OUTRAGED, SCE THEY PEND ON THE REVENUE OM MARRIAGE LICENS.IRONILLY, THE NFERATE-RHETORIC-SPEWG CECIL BELL ENDS UP BEG A PARTISAN FOR CENTRALIZED ERNMENT OVER LOL NTROL—AND HAS MA UNEXPECTED ENEMI AS A RULT.NOW, I’VE MA PLENTY OF TEXAS JOK SO FAR, BUT THE TTH IS, THIS ISN’T YOUR GRANDPA’S LONTAR STATE ANYMORE. CONTRARY TO STEREOTYPE (AND RICK PERRY), THE BILLS MAY ALL DIE, FOR SEVERAL REASONS.FIRST IS THE MOST TERTG TREND TO EMERGE THE CULTURE WAR THIS YEAR: THE PTG OF REPUBLIN VERS REPUBLIN, OR BIG BS VERS THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT. IN TEXAS, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATN OF BS—THE STATE’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE—HAS OPPOSED THE RFRA-BOOSTG AMENDMENTS, S PRINT STATG THAT “THIS WILL CERTALY MAKE OUR STATE LOOK VERY MUCH UNWELG WHEN TO BS RECMENT.”AS ONE WOULD EXPECT, THE TAB DIDN’T MAKE MORAL ARGUMENTS; MA ENOMIC ON. TOYOTA IS MOVG S U.S. HEADQUARTERS TO PLANO, AND AS PART OF S RPORATE POLICY, WORKED TO PASS AN ANTI-DISCRIMATN LAW. ONE FORMER TAB CHAIR (A REPUBLIN) SAID THE LAWS WOULD PUT THE 2017 SUPER BOWL—SET FOR HOTON—AT RISK.THIS IS A NEW REALY. AND WHILE BS OPPOSN WASN’T ENOUGH TO STOP INDIANA’S RFRA OM PASSG LAST WEEK, TEXAS IS NOT INDIANA. THE TAB IS ENORMOLY FLUENTIAL, AND TEXAS BOASTS OF BEG PRO-BS—WHICH IS HARD TO DO WHEN YOU’RE OPPOSG YOUR CHAMBER OF MERCE.MORE BROADLY, THIS IS JT BAD PR. TEXAS HAS CHANGED, AND ARTICL LIKE THIS ONE UNDO A LOT OF THE PROGRS THE STATE HAS MA TO SHED S BACKWARD IMAGE. SURE, TEXANS ARE STILL WBOYS—BUT THEY DON’T WANT TO BE SEEN AS HICKS.IN FACT, TEXAS IS A LOT MORE DIVERSE THAN STEREOTYP MAY SUGGT, AND S BS-FIRST NSERVATISM IS OFTEN MORE RAND PL THAN RICK PERRY. MANY TEXAS REPUBLINS MAY NOT BE PRO-GAY, BUT BEG ANTI-GAY ISN’T REALLY AT THE TOP OF THEIR AGENDAS. IN FACT, ONE LBIAN STATE LEGISLATOR (OM AT, NATCH) HAS SAID THAT MIGHT BE BT TO JT N OUT THE CLOCK ON THE LEGISLATIVE SSN, WHILE LAWMAKERS FOC ON OTHER ISSU.READG BETWEEN THE L, THAT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE A REPUBLIN PRIVATELY SAYG, “I N’T OPPOSE THIS BILL, BUT I WON’T SUPPORT EHER.” STILL, OLD HABS DIE HARD, AND A STATE AS LARGE AS TEXAS, THERE’S A LOT OF IOLOGIL GROUND TO VER BETWEEN AT AND REPRENTATIVE BELL’S HOMETOWN OF MAGNOLIA (NOW AN EXURB OF HOTON).THERE’S ALSO A TREMENDO AMOUNT OF RHETORIL MISRMATN OUT THERE. ANTI-TRANS “BATHROOM BILLS” DON’T SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS: THERE ARE NO REPORTED S OF TRANSGENR WOMEN (“BLOGIL MEN” THE BILL’S SPONSOR’S WORDS) EXPLOG THEIR GENR INTY TO ASSLT WOMEN LOCKER ROOMS. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF S OF THOSE SAME TRANSGENR WOMEN—OFTEN DISTGUISHABLE OM CISGENR WOMEN—BEG BTALLY ASSLTED BY MEN. IN ADDN TO HATE AND FEAR, BATHROOM BILLS BPEAK A GREAT AL OF IGNORANCE OF WHO IS REALLY DANGER.NOR IS A S TO ARRANGE FLOWERS FOR A WEDDG. NOR IS A RPORATN’S OWNER MORALLY RPONSIBLE FOR HOW AN EMPLOYEE HER HEALTH SURANCE. NOR DO MAKE SENSE TO CHANT THE MANTRA OF “STAT RIGHTS” WHILE TRAMPLG ON LOL MUNI’ THORY TO PASS ANTI-DISCRIMATN LAWS.THE KDS OF RHETORIL SUBTERFUGE N BE VERY EFFECTIVE. (JT ASK HOBBY LOBBY.) “RELIG FREEDOM” BILLS DON’T SUCCEED WHEN PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY REALLY ARE. BUT LIKE A GOOD TEXAS GERMAN SSAGE, ’S SOMETIM HARD TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTG. JAY MICHAELSON

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. In the platform voted on by legat at the party's biennial nventn, one sectn — lled ‘Homosexualy and Genr Issu' — stat "homosexualy is an abnormal liftyle choice.