Contact: DeAnne Cuellar, deanne.cuellar@equalitytexas.org

The death of two people in Houston, one of whom was a transgender woman, could be the result of the anti-gay and anti-transgender rhetoric that has engulfed Houston over the last two years.  The rhetoric is fueling an atmosphere of hate in Houston and Texas and across the country that is causing innocent Texans to be beaten and killed,” said Chuck Smith, CEO of Equality Texas. “This rhetoric is unacceptable and has real consequences for real Texans who are victims of hate crimes. Sadly, this double murder occurred during the beginning of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.”