Texas Legislative Session Sees Record Number of Anti-LGBTQ Bills

As the 89th Texas Legislative Session unfolds, we are witnessing what has become an all too familiar assault on the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ Texans. With 205 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills filed, this session marks a grim milestone—the highest number ever recorded in Texas history.  

 These bills target our community’s fundamental freedoms: restricting access to healthcare, censoring education, and policing trans lives in public spaces. It is a distinction no Texan should be proud of, and it underscores the urgent need for all of us to stay engaged and fight back. 

The political climate in Texas has shifted dramatically, with lawmakers introducing more aggressive measures aimed at erasing LGBTQ+ Texans from public life. From bathroom restrictions to bans on gender-affirming care, these bills are not about solving real problems: they are about marginalizing an already vulnerable population for political gain.

Equality Texas has been at the forefront of this fight. We’ve hosted 30 advocacy training sessions, mobilized over 1,000 advocates, and organized the largest LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Day in Texas history. But the sheer volume of these attacks means we must redouble our efforts. When their attacks against our community escalate, we have no choice but to escalate our response. 

The bills we are fighting this session are not just legislative proposals; they are life-altering for thousands of Texans.  

We are witnessing a return to proposed bathroom restriction bills that would force transgender individuals into unsafe spaces, increasing their risk of harassment and violence and emboldening a vigilante culture that makes no person, transgender or cisgender, truly safe in these spaces. 

After eliminating life-saving health care for transgender youth last session, we are witnessing bills that could ban gender-affirming care through coercive policies targeting insurance providers. After the horrors that struck our community during the height of the AIDS epidemic, queer people are uniquely positioned to understand the importance of healthcare access and how government intrusion or inaction risks lives.  

Every LGBTQ+ person was once an LGBTQ+ child, and for those of us who were lucky enough to have support and caring through our individual journeys, we know that affirming teachers and counselors can serve as lifelines. Unfortunately, we are facing policies targeting LGBTQ+ visibility in schools designed to send a clear message to queer students: You do not belong here. 

But we do belong and there is no piece of legislation, no opinion by an Attorney General and no poorly written executive order from any President that can change us. 

Despite these challenges, we know that advocacy works. In 2017, a similar bathroom bill failed thanks to overwhelming opposition from business leaders, law enforcement officials, and everyday Texans who stood up for equality. We came together in 2023 to stop 96% of the anti-LGBTQ+ bills up for consideration. We must channel that same energy now. 

Here’s how you can help: 

• Stay Informed: Follow Equality Texas’ updates on legislative developments and advocacy opportunities. Connect with other organizations like the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), the ACLU of Texas, Lambda Legal, the Texas Freedom Network and the Human Rights Campaign. 
• Show Up: Attend rallies, advocacy days, and town halls to make your voice heard. Lean into taking legislative action wherever you are; it doesn’t always require traveling to Austin. 
• Speak Out: Contact your legislators and urge them to oppose harmful bills. Let them know that discrimination has no place in Texas and that queer Texans live in every corner of our state. 

While the attacks on our community are relentless, so is our resolve. Together, we can push back against this wave of hate and ensure that Texas remains a place where everyone—regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation—can live with dignity and respect. 

Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines. The stakes have never been higher, but neither has our determination to fight for what is right. Let’s stand together and make our voices heard—because equality is worth fighting for, our community is worth fighting for. 

Equality Texas is the largest statewide organization working to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Texans through political action, education, community organizing, and collaboration.  Info: equalitytexas.org • (512) 474-5475.