{"id":54710,"date":"2017-07-14T10:00:35","date_gmt":"2017-07-14T14:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/gov-abbott-brings-anti-lgbtq-activism-to-kick-off-special-discrimination-session-this-tuesday\/"},"modified":"2017-07-14T10:00:35","modified_gmt":"2017-07-14T14:00:35","slug":"gov-abbott-brings-anti-lgbtq-activism-to-kick-off-special-discrimination-session-this-tuesday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/gov-abbott-brings-anti-lgbtq-activism-to-kick-off-special-discrimination-session-this-tuesday\/","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Abbott brings anti-LGBTQ activism to kick-off \u201cspecial discrimination session\u201d this Tuesday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gov. Abbott brings anti-LGBTQ activism to kick-off \u201cspecial discrimination session\u201d this Tuesday<\/b><\/p>\n

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Republican Texas Speaker Joe Straus<\/em><\/a>: \u201cI\u2019m disgusted by all this\u2026I don\u2019t want the suicide of a single Texan on my hands.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Anti-trans<\/a> legislation could put lives at risk, drain $3 billion from Texas state economy<\/em><\/p>\n

NEW YORK<\/strong> \u2013\u00a0GLAAD, the world\u2019s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today released \u201cWhat Texas\u2019 Special Session Means For\u00a0LGBTQ Texans,\u201d a\u00a0video<\/a>\u00a0highlighting Texas Governor Greg Abbott\u2019s \u201cspecial discrimination session\u201d against the transgender community.\u00a0The video<\/a> is available ahead of the start to the special\u00a0session on July 18th\u00a0and forecasts what would be a dangerous, anti-LGBTQ agenda at the Texas State Capitol.<\/p>\n

Anti-LGBTQ activists already this year, including Gov. Abbott, have advocated for legislation that openly targets and discriminates against transgender Texas, barring them from public accommodations in accordance with their gender identity. Not only has a so-called \u201cbathroom bill\u201d been\u00a0opposed<\/a>\u00a0by the majority of Texans and\u00a0big businesses across the country<\/a>, but it could drain about $3 billion from the state\u2019s economy while also putting the safety of transgender Texans in jeopardy. Even the Speaker of the Texas House, a Republican, voiced his opposition to the anti-trans<\/a> bills \u2013 saying he was \u201cdisgusted by all this<\/a>\u201d and did not \u201ca suicide of a single Texan on [his] hands<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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[GLAAD VIDEO: What Texas\u2019 Special Session Means For LGBTQ Texans<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernor Greg Abbott is ignoring calls<\/a> from elected officials on both sides of the aisle, Texas\u2019 biggest corporations, and young people living across the state to force his own personal anti-LGBTQ agenda. If the governor moves forward with this harmful legislation against transgender Texans, then LGBTQ people, businesses, and fair-minded Texans will respond in Texas style \u2013 Big,\u201d\u00a0said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD<\/strong>. \u201cTransgender Texans have experienced harassment and threats because of state officials directly targeting them this last session and any further attacks will only cement Governor Abbott\u2019s legacy as turning Texas into a state that harms its most marginalized citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n

This anti-LGBTQ special session follows what can only be described as a \u201cdiscrimination session\u201d against marginalized communities across the state. From shoving through HB 3859 \u2013 which allows adoption agencies to now use so-called \u201creligious exemptions\u201d as a weapon to deny LGBTQ families the ability to adopt a child \u2013 to the signing a ban on \u201csanctuary cities\u201d into law, Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature have promoted an out-of-touch agenda at the expense of the state\u2019s most vulnerable.<\/p>\n

Since the start of this year\u2019s session, GLAAD has been on the ground fighting the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation in Texas. This spring, GLAAD coordinated with Equality Texas and Texas Freedom Network to hold numerous \u201cStudents Against Hate<\/a>\u201d rallies on college campuses across the state where Texans came together to share their voice and fight back against the anti-LGBTQ bills being perused at the statehouse. Further, GLAAD teamed up with Equality Texas, The Ally Coalition, and more than 160 leading artists, entertainers, and influencers to release an\u00a0open letter opposing anti-LGBTQ bills<\/a>, including the so-called \u201cbathroom bill,\u201d that threatened to harm LGBTQ Texas. The letter demonstrated widespread disapproval for dangerous legislation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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July 14, 2017<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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