Many new bills are affecting LGBTQ+ Community After being a major agenda item for lawmakers in the 88th Texas Legislature, they are set to take effect on Friday.
sb 17 Will end diversity, equality and inclusion programs in universities and higher education.
sb 15Or the Save Women’s Sports Act would require college athletes to compete on teams that correspond with the gender assigned to them at birth.
sb 14 According to the bill’s authors, what’s known as gender-affirming care for minors, or “procedures and treatments for gender change, gender reassignment, or gender dysphoria and public funding to provide those procedures and treatments or Prohibits the use of public assistance.”
sb 12 Its purpose is to ban drag shows or any performance that could be considered to be of a sexual nature in the presence of minors.
Texas PriceA non-profit advocacy group played a major role in getting these bills passed during the legislative session. These laws are a top priority for many parents across the state, said Jonathan Covey, policy director for Texas Values.
“Our parents have reached out to us, but we’ve also seen this as a concern within our own communities in Texas,” he said. “Especially in this case trying to move forward and make sure we protect children as the state of Texas is known to do.”
The most controversial new law is SB 14, which would prohibit patients under the age of 18 from receiving hormones, surgery, and puberty blockers.
“When kids become adults, it’s an adult decision between them and their doctor,” Covey said. “Before then, kids don’t have the maturity to make that decision or know the risks involved in making that decision.”
Teel Heidenreiter, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, said, “It’s kind of a door through which they also target adults under the guise of protecting children from doing something they could potentially regret.”
Former Killen resident Teal Heidenreiter and his family recently moved out of state, and have no plans to return.
“We are liking being here and a big factor is the law and the general political climate in Texas,” he said. “It doesn’t seem as safe as it used to be. When we were getting ready to move on, we saw it coming and we were like, we’re glad we’re going.”
Heidenreiter said these laws would make Texas an unsafe place for gay children and adults.
“We want to go back for a number of reasons, and it’s kind of troubling that it doesn’t feel safe to do so,” he said.
But others claim that these laws are taking care of everyone.
“We believe there is a need to protect children,” Covey said.
Some of these laws have been challenged in court, but are currently expected to come into effect from September 1.
This story was originally published by Alicia Naspreto Scripps News Waco,