The Texas Legislature is having big battles over gender and sexuality. Track them here.
Lawmakers are quietly pushing bills that would limit access to bathrooms and measures preventing trans people from changing government documents. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e10533e8a5e11a8f21495935cfbc19d3/0329%20Trans%20Visibility%20March%20SW%2049.JPG)
-
![Attendees wave a trans flag while marching with over 300 activists and supporters from the Bexar County Courthouse to Crockett Park in “March for Us,” San Antonio's third annual celebration of Transgender Day of Visibility, on Saturday, March 29, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.]()
Credit: Salgu Wissmath for The Texas Tribune -
Transgender staffer navigates Texas Capitol with guarded care amid growing hostilities
Mo Jenkins is one of only a few openly transgender staffers working in the Capitol as lawmakers are making headway in restricting rights for LGBTQ+ Texans. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/35f159c1c5cac3131a14d1f12ba36441/0211%20Mo%20Jenkins%20LW%20TT%2040.JPG)
![Mo Jenkins walks with State Rep. Lauren A. Simmons (D-Houston) ahead of a House meeting on Feb. 11, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House majority signs on to new bill restricting the use of bathrooms in public buildings by transgender people
House Bill 239, which echoes a bathroom bill that failed in 2017, includes new provisions for shelters and prisons. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/03/22/ShelbyKnowles-12_TT.jpg)
![Bathroom stalls at the Austin Convention Center in 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Odessa bans transgender people from using restrooms that don’t match sex assigned at birth
LGBTQ+ advocates called the ban one of the most extreme measures enacted by a local government. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/80573beb55e697307db5f259a13aee96/0812%20Joven%20EH%2062.jpg)
![The Odessa City Council listens to comments from a member of the public during a meeting Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
In 75th lawsuit against Biden, Paxton sues to stop new gender identity guidelines for employers
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton aims new lawsuit at Biden Administration to halt compliance of gender identity mandates in the workplace. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8de78686464d69527bc473a495e02949/Paxton%20CPAC%20REUTERS.jpg)
![Ken Paxton attends the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland on Feb. 23, 2024.]()
Credit: Zach Roberts/NurPhoto via REUTERS -
When showing up at the Texas Capitol made a difference
Readers sometimes ask us if the outcomes in governing are predetermined and whether civic engagement makes a difference. There are plenty of examples of Texans influencing lawmakers’ decisions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/be1bac3ef97fecd6f182dbc4d60920ab/Stonewall%20Rally%20LGBTQ%20AP%20TT.jpg)
![Members of Austin's LGBT community gather on the steps of the capitol to celebrate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots on June 28, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
LGBTQ Texans voting with marriage, worker protections and trans rights in mind
The Texas Tribune spoke with LGBTQ voters, the parents of queer youth and advocates from across the state about what’s at stake for them this November. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4cb7a5b41bd5cf66bc2e2f7368182cc2/1027%20Thomas%20Smith%20AM%20TT%2002.jpg)
![Thomas Smith, right, and his partner Kevin McCardle outside of the Polk County Courthouse building in Livingston on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. Smith has voted for mostly Republican candidates his entire life but will now be voting for Democrats this election as issues like women’s rights and same sex marriage are being scrutinized.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
How Texas Republicans moved beyond a bathroom bill to successfully restrict transgender athletes’ participation in school sports
In 2017, conservative lawmakers failed to pass legislation targeting transgender Texans. Things were different this year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/05390cc390a0dbcf7514d6e60af3b5d7/Against%20Anti-Trans%20EL%20TT%2015.jpg)
![Protestors participate in a rally against Anti-Trans legislation at the southern steps of the state Capitol on April 28, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers want to add more LGTBQ safeguards after U.S. Supreme Court guarantees workplace protections
A new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court makes clear that it violates federal law to fire an employee on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. Now Texas lawmakers want to guarantee similar protections for LGBTQ Texans in housing, health care and other spheres. Full Story
![Members of Austin's LGBT community gather on the steps of the capitol to celebrate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots on June 28, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas Senate flushed with success
In a session where middle-of-the-road issues like school finance and teacher pay dominate the conversation, the Texas Senate has returned to familiar — and conservative — ground. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/08/01/APrice-InterfaithonBathroomBill-8.jpg)
![Members of various faith communities met at the Texas Capitol on Aug. 1, 2017 to speak out against the "bathroom bill."]()
Credit: Austin Price/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate approves occupational licensing bill LGBTQ advocates call a "license to discriminate"
The bill passed on a 19–12 vote, with one Republican voting against it and one Democrat voting for it. It requires one more approval in the Senate before it heads to the Texas House. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5860bc52f779155e140b129e4ee26870/21_Texas_Business_Leaders_Presser_EW_CC.jpg)
![Dave Edmonson, Executive Director of Texas and the Southeast region for TechNet, speaks against discriminatory legislation during a press conference on March 27, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas lawmakers haven’t sworn off culture wars after all
The Texas Legislature is trying to focus on school finance and property taxes. But flashier, more divisive political fights beckon. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fc982d09e0e66438f84ef9f82af488e6/10_Texas_AFT_Public_Ed_Rally_MG.jpg)
![The Texas American Federation of Teachers hold a rally in support of public education at the capitol on Mar. 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: The House passes its budget — civilly
On this week’s TribCast, Emily talks to Ayan, Emma, Cassi and Patrick about the House’s big night tackling the next biennial budget, a repeat performance by corporate opponents of last session’s "bathroom bill" and the anti-abortion legislation moving in the Capitol. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/08eee22189971cf9433713814c9a057b/TribCast_2_28_19_BD_TT.jpg)
![The debate on HB-1, the House state budget bill, continues into its 12th hour as members gather to confer with the House Parliamentarian on March 27, 2019.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
After helping defeat the “bathroom bill” in 2017, business groups are back to oppose “discriminatory and divisive measures”
The groups are targeting two priority bills in the Texas Senate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8a1429cda66655aaf869421b8a37ec3c/01_Texas_Business_Leaders_Presser_EW.jpg)
![Angela Hale, executive director for Texas Welcomes All, speaks during a press conference on March 27, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Dan Patrick says he won the fight over the bathroom bill, but at schools not much has changed
In 2017, Patrick pushed for the controversial measure that would have restricted the use of certain public facilities for transgender Texans, but it failed to become law. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1c4fa786260990976aea0942d42fd980/Abbott_Patrick_Bonnen_Joint_Presser_4.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at a joint press conference on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019. Newly-elected House Speaker Dennis Bonnen was also present.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune. -
Travis Clardy on the bathroom bill and the relationship between Texas’ top political leaders
The Texas Tribune hosted a conversation with Travis Clardy, Republican candidate for Speaker of the Texas House. The talk was moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a5a18600ea15e5d9c0b518846fd32549/TTE-TClardy_leadart-tt.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Texas GOP passes list of priorities that includes support for “bathroom bill” and “constitutional carry”
After a few hours of relatively mild debate, Texas Republicans approved multiple legislative priorities and backed a platform that includes more than 300 planks. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/23c15fbf22178a5e62266ed1f2714a6e/Platform_RPT_RJ_TT.jpg)
![Elizabeth Menes makes a point during a platform debate at the Republican Party of Texas convention in San Antonio on June 15, 2018.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
How the "bathroom bill" helped push a Republican PAC to spend millions on moderates in Texas
Meet the Associated Republicans of Texas, a moderate PAC spending millions to combat hard-line conservative groups in the 2018 elections. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3bccda60c8eae1755007748b7375a334/ART_Candidates.jpg)
![Top row, left to right: Republican runoff candidates Thomas McNutt and Cody Harris, HD-8; Ben Leman and Jill Wolfskill, HD-13. Bottom row, left to right: Brad Buckley and Scott Cosper, HD-54; Steve Allison and Matt Beebe, HD-121.]()
Credit: Facebook campaign pages/Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Analysis: A conniption fit disguised as a legislative study
A score-settling Texas House report on economic development policies was published Tuesday — after the elections it might have influenced, ordered up by lame-duck legislators who won't be in Austin to see it through. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/08/15/StateAffairs0449.jpg)
![State Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, presides over an interim State Affairs Committee meeting on Aug. 15, 2016.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott opposed controversial "bathroom bill," state legislator says
According to the chairman of the Texas House committee where the bathroom bill died in 2017, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott "did not want that bill on his desk." Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/06/06/Abbott_special_MKC_TT.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott lays out items for a special session at a press conference on June 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune