Heading into the 2025 legislative session, the political landscape in Texas is moving further to the right. The change comes after a surge of political movements focused on gender identity and transgender rights, issues that have become a major focus for conservative politicians. LGBTQ rights advocates say the Texas Legislature is more conservative than ever and shows no signs of slowing down.
More aggressive conservative policies?
In recent years, Republican lawmakers across the country have introduced a flurry of bills targeting the LGBTQ community, particularly transgender people. Florida’s controversial “Don’t Call Me Gay” bill, a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and a law restricting minors from attending drag shows are just a few examples. .
Texas is no exception, with lawmakers and state leaders spearheading some of the most aggressive policies targeting the rights of transgender people.
Matt Lamb, a political science professor at Texas Tech University, believes the focus on restricting LGBTQ rights in Texas will only intensify next year.
“Given that some moderate Republican members lost in this spring’s primaries, I think they will come up with more aggressive conservative policies in the upcoming Congress,” Lamb said.
He said the focus on LGBTQ rights has motivated conservative voters to vote, not just in Texas but across the country. From the president-elect to local politicians to transgender athletes, access to books with LGBTQ characters and gender-affirming health care for minors is a Republican message at every level of the campaign. It has penetrated into the world.
“I think it’s primarily because they’re pursuing this type of bill, or if not the bill, that’s making this a big part of their rhetoric and message. Because it’s effective,” Lam explained.
More anti-transgender bills on the horizon
In 2023, the Texas Republican Party passed a series of bills that would limit minors’ access to gender-affirming care and limit trans athletes’ participation in college sports.
But that hasn’t stopped Republican lawmakers from introducing more bills targeting the transgender community. With just two months to go before Congress opens in 2025, they have already proposed more than 30 anti-trans bills.
These include requiring children who want to participate in sports to undergo chromosomal testing, requiring parental consent before children can join clubs that promote gender identity, and determining the gender listed on birth certificates. Measures include banning people who do not meet the criteria from using public toilets. .
This is not the first time Texas lawmakers have attempted to pass a bathroom bill.
Similar efforts failed to become law due to opposition from business leaders and law enforcement. But the fact that the issue remains a priority for conservative lawmakers continues to raise concerns among LGBTQ advocates.
Jonathan Gooch, president of the LGBTQ rights group Equality Texas, said Republicans are focused on a small segment of the population. The UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, which studies LGBTQ issues, estimates that only about 4% of Texas’ population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.
“For example, think about bathroom costs,” Gooch says. “If a transgender person needs to renew their driver’s license, they should be able to go to the bathroom during that time. That should be fine.”
Jonathan Saenz, president of the conservative group Texas Values, argues that the bills are a necessary response to what he sees as a radical shift to the left on transgender issues.
“I think the Democratic Party has gone too far, or is too obsessed…We may see a response in this Congress to the fact that the pendulum has swung far to the other side, to the left, on transgender issues,” Saenz said. he said. Said.
Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa made a similar statement to Texas Newsroom after the election results came in in November.
“(Democrats) can support transgender rights in every category where the issue is raised,” Hinojosa said. support. ”
He later apologized and announced he would resign in March, just days after making the remarks.
Impact of ‘hateful’ bill
Even if many of these bills are ultimately not passed, experts say they could still have a detrimental impact on the LGBTQ community.
Lauren Gutterman, a professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Texas, warned that such laws would encourage discrimination and violence against transgender and gender nonconforming people, regardless of how they identify.
She believes that the focus on the LGBTQ, particularly transgender community, is disproportionate to their size within the overall population.
Operators of LGBTQ helplines such as The Trevor Project say they see a spike in calls when legislation affecting the transgender community is debated.
“With each session of Congress, hateful legislation aimed at the LGBTQ+ community becomes increasingly harsh and punitive,” Gutterman said.
“These bills are going to crush people who are already vulnerable.”
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