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Special Session 2 Week 2 Wrap-up: Sports Ban Hearing on Tuesday
Posted on August 20, 2021 at 6:02 pm

The Texas House now has a quorum — the minimum number of legislators that have to be present in order for the legislature to do business. Immediately after quorum was met, the House referred the anti-transgender sports ban, SB 2, to committee and set the bill for a hearing in the Public Education committee this Tuesday, August 24.

This is a devastating blow to transgender kids and their families who have been fighting these bills all year. Contact the public education committee today and remind them of the harm caused by debating the humanity of transgender kids.

For months, and through three legislative sessions stacked this year alone, trans kids and adults have been demonized, attacked, and insulted by extremist politicians.

They’re traumatized.

Transgender kids and adults simply want to be left alone, so they can feel safe and welcome in all areas of life. Instead, they wait in agony as adult politicians decide whether or not they’re excluded from normal school activities — even in the midst of a COVID19 crisis in our schools.

We’re pulling out all the stops for Tuesday’s hearing. This will likely be the last opportunity for official public comment on anti-trans sports bans for this special session and we need your action. Honor the kids, families, and adults who have been at the Capitol over and over and over again to fight for their right for equality, inclusion, and their mental and emotional well-being during an especially hard year.

There are several ways to get involved virtually and in-person. If we are going to kill this bill for the third and final time, we need our entire community to pull together now. Here’s how you can help: 

  • Testify in-person for the SB 2 hearing — sign up here
  • Submit written testimony for the SB 2 hearing
  • Send a message to the Public Education Committee and Speaker Phelan
  • Call members of the Public Education Committee and remind them what’s at stake for trans kids
    • Mary Gonzalez – (512) 463-0613
    • James Talarico – (512) 463-0670
    • Alma Allen – (512) 463-0744
    • Dan Huberty – (512) 463-0520
    • Harold Dutton – (512) 463-0510
    • Steve Allison – (512) 463-0686
    • Gary VanDeaver – (512) 463-0692
    • JM Lozano — (512) 463-0463
    • Terry Meza – (512) 463-0641
    • Diego Bernal – (512) 463-0532
    • Keith Bell – (512) 463-0458
    • Brad Buckley – (512) 463-0684
    • Ken King – (512) 463-0736
  • Chip in to our special session fund — any amount truly makes a difference.

Once you’ve completed an item (or all items) on this list, send it to four friends who can add their voice to the call to protect transgender kids. As of today, there are just over two weeks left in this special session and we owe it to our community to hold the line. We have strength in numbers and this Tuesday we have the opportunity to manifest the true power of our community.

We know it’s been a long, stressful, year on multiple fronts. Thank you for your tireless efforts and for joining with us for this important moment.