Texas tors, LGBTQ advot cricize ph for “Don’t Say Gay” bill | The Texas Tribune

Contents:

• TEXAS GOP'S NEW PLATFORM LLS GAY PEOPLE 'ABNORMAL' AND REJECTS TRANS INTI
• TEXAS LEGISLATORS BATE BILL TO REMOVE GAY SEX BAN OM STATE LAW
• TED CZ SAYS TEXAS SHOULD REPEAL BAN ON GAY SEX
• CRICS OF TEXAS’ PH FOR A “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL SAY ACKNOWLEDGG LGBTQ PEOPLE ISN’T THE SAME AS TEACHG KIDS ABOUT SEX
• QUTN ON GAY MARRIAGE HAS ADVOT, EXPERTS ASKG: WHAT DO THIS TEXAS LAWMAKER WANT?GOP STATE REP. JAM WHE’S REQUT FOR OPN ED A STIR ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BAFFLG NSTUTNAL SCHOLARS AND ANGERG GAY RIGHTS ADVOT. WHE IS NNG FOR STATEWI OFFICE.REP. JAM WHE, R-HILLISTER, SPEAKS DURG A PRS NFERENCE HELD BY TEXAS PRISONS AIR-CONDNG ADVOT ON TUDAY, MARCH 12, 2019 AT THE JOHN H REAGAN STATE OFFICE BUILDG AT. WHE, WHO IS NNG THE GOP PRIMARY FOR AGRICULTURE MISSNER, LAST WEEK ASKED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WHETHER PRIVATE CIZENS NEED TO REGNIZE SAME-SEX MARRIAG.(ASHLEY LANDIS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)BY SAMI SPARBER AND LREN MCGGHY5:30 AM ON OCT 27, 2021 CDTLISTENAUSTIN — DO PRIVATE CIZENS TEXAS NEED TO REGNIZE GAY MARRIAG?THAT’S THE QUTN REP. JAM WHE, A REPUBLIN LAWMAKER NNG FOR STATEWI OFFICE, ASKED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL LAST WEEK. WHE’S REQUT FOR OPN ED A STIR ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BAFFLG NSTUTNAL SCHOLARS AND ANGERG GAY RIGHTS ADVOT.ADVERTISEMENTMORE THAN SIX YEARS AFTER THE U.S. SUPREME COURT LEGALIZED GAY MARRIAGE NATNWI OBERGEFELL VS. HODG — AND WH FEW OTHER PROTECTNS FOR LGBTQ TEXANS — THEY WONRED, WHAT EXACTLY IS WHE’S POT?ADVERTISEMENTEXPERTS SAID THEY DIDN’T THK WHE’S REQUT WOULD HAVE ANY IMPACT ON CURRENT LAW, CHALKG UP TO POLIL POSTURG AHEAD OF A NSERVATIVE PRIMARY RACE. IT MAY BE PART OF A NSERVATIVE TREND TO LEAVE UNENFORCEABLE LAWS ON THE BOOKS SE THE LGS ARE REVERSED.POLIL POTSGET THE LATT POLICS NEWS OM NORTH TEXAS AND BEYOND.EMAIL ADDRSBY SIGNG UP YOU AGREE TO OUR TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICYSUBMITTHE 2015 OBERGEFELL CISN MA THE BAN ON SAME SEX-MARRIAGE TEXAS AND 12 OTHER STAT UNENFORCEABLE. BUT LAWMAKERS HAVE NEVER REMOVED THE LANGUAGE, WHICH VOTERS ENSHRED THE TEXAS CONSTUTN 2005. IN AN TERVIEW WH THE DALLAS MORNG NEWS, WHE SAID HE IS NOT ASKG ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON TO REJECT THE URT’S LG ON GAY MARRIAGE.“SOME PEOPLE WERE SAYG, ‘OH HE’S ASKG TO SEE IF OBERGEFELL IS APPLIBLE TO TEXAS,’” WHE SAID. “NO, I’M NOT SAYG THAT. IT IS APPLIBLE TO TEXAS — AS APPLI TO ERNMENT OFFICIALS REGNIZG DIFFERENT MARRIAGE NSTCTS.”ADVERTISEMENTHE ADD: “BUT HOW DO APPLY TO PRIVATE CIZENS?”WHE DID NOT HAVE AN EXAMPLE FOR WHAT SUATN HE SEEKS TO ADDRS NOR DID HE SAY A SPECIFIC CINT SPURRED HIM TO ASK THE QUTN AT THIS TIME.ADVERTISEMENTHE MENTNED THE RIGHTS OF CLERGY TO REJECT GAY UNNS — BUT SAID THAT IS NOT THE SOLE REASON HE FILED THIS REQUT. THEN HE WAVED OFF — BUT DID NOT PLETELY REJECT — THAT HE WANTS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO WEIGH ON WHETHER BS N NY SERVIC TO SAME-SEX UPL.ADVERTISEMENT“I DON’T KNOW IF BS ARE PRIVATE CIZENS,” WHE SAID, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGG THEY MAY BE OWNED OR N BY PRIVATE CIZENS. “MAYBE A PRIVATE CIZEN ULD BE SOMEONE WHO SAYS THEY’RE A PREACHER. ... IT ULD BE A CHURCH AN BOARD.”WHE SAID HILLISTER BAPTIST CHURCH, WHERE HE ATTEND UNTIL RECENTLY, CHECKED S BYLAWS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT LG TO MAKE SURE FED MARRIAGE A WAY THAT WAS “NSISTENT WH CHURCH DOCTRE.”LEGAL TO TURN AWAY CTOMERS
• ‘THE GREAT STATE OF HATE’: TEXAS DECL TO BAN ‘GAY/TRANS PANIC’ DEFENSE

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

They were among several bills the Legislature nsired that would brg major chang to the liv of gay and transgenr Texans.

TEXAS LEGISLATORS BATE BILL TO REMOVE GAY SEX BAN OM STATE LAW

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.

TED CZ SAYS TEXAS SHOULD REPEAL BAN ON GAY SEX

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.

CRICS OF TEXAS’ PH FOR A “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL SAY ACKNOWLEDGG LGBTQ PEOPLE ISN’T THE SAME AS TEACHG KIDS ABOUT SEX

"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 word “groomg” has long been associated wh mischaracterizg LGBTQ people, particularly gay men and transgenr women, as child sex abers. AUSTIN — A Hoe mtee on Tuday bated a bill that would repeal the state’s unnstutnal and unenforceable law crimalizg gay Bill 2055 by Rep.

Venton Jon, D-Dallas, would repeal the state’s ban on “homosexual nduct” and remove language om the health that lls homosexualy “not an acceptable liftyle.

QUTN ON GAY MARRIAGE HAS ADVOT, EXPERTS ASKG: WHAT DO THIS TEXAS LAWMAKER WANT?GOP STATE REP. JAM WHE’S REQUT FOR OPN ED A STIR ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BAFFLG NSTUTNAL SCHOLARS AND ANGERG GAY RIGHTS ADVOT. WHE IS NNG FOR STATEWI OFFICE.REP. JAM WHE, R-HILLISTER, SPEAKS DURG A PRS NFERENCE HELD BY TEXAS PRISONS AIR-CONDNG ADVOT ON TUDAY, MARCH 12, 2019 AT THE JOHN H REAGAN STATE OFFICE BUILDG AT. WHE, WHO IS NNG THE GOP PRIMARY FOR AGRICULTURE MISSNER, LAST WEEK ASKED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WHETHER PRIVATE CIZENS NEED TO REGNIZE SAME-SEX MARRIAG.(ASHLEY LANDIS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)BY SAMI SPARBER AND LREN MCGGHY5:30 AM ON OCT 27, 2021 CDTLISTENAUSTIN — DO PRIVATE CIZENS TEXAS NEED TO REGNIZE GAY MARRIAG?THAT’S THE QUTN REP. JAM WHE, A REPUBLIN LAWMAKER NNG FOR STATEWI OFFICE, ASKED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL LAST WEEK. WHE’S REQUT FOR OPN ED A STIR ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BAFFLG NSTUTNAL SCHOLARS AND ANGERG GAY RIGHTS ADVOT.ADVERTISEMENTMORE THAN SIX YEARS AFTER THE U.S. SUPREME COURT LEGALIZED GAY MARRIAGE NATNWI OBERGEFELL VS. HODG — AND WH FEW OTHER PROTECTNS FOR LGBTQ TEXANS — THEY WONRED, WHAT EXACTLY IS WHE’S POT?ADVERTISEMENTEXPERTS SAID THEY DIDN’T THK WHE’S REQUT WOULD HAVE ANY IMPACT ON CURRENT LAW, CHALKG UP TO POLIL POSTURG AHEAD OF A NSERVATIVE PRIMARY RACE. IT MAY BE PART OF A NSERVATIVE TREND TO LEAVE UNENFORCEABLE LAWS ON THE BOOKS SE THE LGS ARE REVERSED.POLIL POTSGET THE LATT POLICS NEWS OM NORTH TEXAS AND BEYOND.EMAIL ADDRSBY SIGNG UP YOU AGREE TO OUR TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICYSUBMITTHE 2015 OBERGEFELL CISN MA THE BAN ON SAME SEX-MARRIAGE TEXAS AND 12 OTHER STAT UNENFORCEABLE. BUT LAWMAKERS HAVE NEVER REMOVED THE LANGUAGE, WHICH VOTERS ENSHRED THE TEXAS CONSTUTN 2005. IN AN TERVIEW WH THE DALLAS MORNG NEWS, WHE SAID HE IS NOT ASKG ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON TO REJECT THE URT’S LG ON GAY MARRIAGE.“SOME PEOPLE WERE SAYG, ‘OH HE’S ASKG TO SEE IF OBERGEFELL IS APPLIBLE TO TEXAS,’” WHE SAID. “NO, I’M NOT SAYG THAT. IT IS APPLIBLE TO TEXAS — AS APPLI TO ERNMENT OFFICIALS REGNIZG DIFFERENT MARRIAGE NSTCTS.”ADVERTISEMENTHE ADD: “BUT HOW DO APPLY TO PRIVATE CIZENS?”WHE DID NOT HAVE AN EXAMPLE FOR WHAT SUATN HE SEEKS TO ADDRS NOR DID HE SAY A SPECIFIC CINT SPURRED HIM TO ASK THE QUTN AT THIS TIME.ADVERTISEMENTHE MENTNED THE RIGHTS OF CLERGY TO REJECT GAY UNNS — BUT SAID THAT IS NOT THE SOLE REASON HE FILED THIS REQUT. THEN HE WAVED OFF — BUT DID NOT PLETELY REJECT — THAT HE WANTS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO WEIGH ON WHETHER BS N NY SERVIC TO SAME-SEX UPL.ADVERTISEMENT“I DON’T KNOW IF BS ARE PRIVATE CIZENS,” WHE SAID, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGG THEY MAY BE OWNED OR N BY PRIVATE CIZENS. “MAYBE A PRIVATE CIZEN ULD BE SOMEONE WHO SAYS THEY’RE A PREACHER. ... IT ULD BE A CHURCH AN BOARD.”WHE SAID HILLISTER BAPTIST CHURCH, WHERE HE ATTEND UNTIL RECENTLY, CHECKED S BYLAWS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT LG TO MAKE SURE FED MARRIAGE A WAY THAT WAS “NSISTENT WH CHURCH DOCTRE.”LEGAL TO TURN AWAY CTOMERS

” Jon, who is gay and the state’s first openly HIV-posive lawmaker, told the Hoe Commtee on Crimal Jurispnce that the bill is about more than jt cleang up funct laws om the books. Related:'Homosexual nduct' was illegal 15 years ago. Texas lawmakers passed the ban on homosexual nduct, lloquially lled the “sodomy ban, ” 1973.

In 2009, for example, two men who kissed an El Paso rtrant were asked to leave and told they were vlatg the state’s ban on homosexual nduct.

‘THE GREAT STATE OF HATE’: TEXAS DECL TO BAN ‘GAY/TRANS PANIC’ DEFENSE

Related:Ted Cz says Texas should repeal ban on gay sexThe bill is not whout opposn.

Two reprentativ wh Texas Valu, a Christian advocy group, spoke agast the bill bee they oppose removg the health sectns llg homosexualy unacceptable.

“The most important part is makg sure that our kids have the all the rmatn, ” Texas Valu Director of Government Relatns Mary Elizabeth Castle said, after listg diseas and sexually transmted fectns she said plague the gay and bisexual the dais, Chairman Joe Moody asked the Texas Valu reprentativ if they would support the bill if the health sectns were left tact.