Texas Democrats spoke on the House floor over the weekend, calling out a recently passed ban on LGBTQ+ clubs in the state. Calling the ban the work of “monsters,” they pointed out how these bans are directly endangering children and free speech.
Senate Bill 12, which openly makes reference to a religious “Creator,” in part utilizes religious freedom justifications to restrict the rights of children to express themselves by completely restricting LGBTQ+ clubs, among many other Don’t Say Gay provisions as well as a ban on social transitioning of trans kids in schools.
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The bill is sponsored by Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton and was passed into law over the weekend. Democratic Rep. Gene Wu said on the floor, “The real monsters are not kids trying to figure out who they are. The monsters are not the teachers who love them and encourage them and support them. They are not the books that provide them with some amount of comfort and information. The real monsters are here.”
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Democratic Rep. Jolanda Jones echoed this, referencing her experience as a Black lesbian. She didn’t come out until she was 50 because “the world wasn’t safe,” adding that bullying will make the problem worse.
“And we have the nerve to say that we care about mental health,” Jones said. “We’ve passed bill after bill about access to care, about youth suicide, about prevention and treatment. But this bill makes kids sicker, sadder, more alone. This bill doesn’t protect children. It endangers them. It doesn’t give parents more rights. It strips children of their dignity.”
The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, a notorious opponent of LGBTQ+ rights. If he signs this, it will go into law September 1.
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