It was a good summer before now, but all of that comes to an end today. In the best case scenario, the sunset bills get passed and nothing else happens. I don’t know what will happen, but at least the ongoing animosity between the House and the Senate gives the “nothing happens” scenario a chance. In the meantime, let us remember the reason, the real reason, why we are here. The Rev. Dr. Larry Bethune and The Rev. Stephanie Cooper call it what it is.
We are calling out the bullying behavior of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and his ally Gov. Greg Abbott towards the most vulnerable among us. While the percentage of students who identify as transgender is small, many school districts have found caring ways to support families as they encourage healthy development of these children.
In most ways, these children are no different from any other. They are kids who go to school, get involved in extra-curricular activities, make friends and have hopes and dreams like other kids. And just like all other kids at their school, they simply need to use a restroom.
But like schoolyard bullies, Patrick and Abbott have chosen to pick on these most vulnerable victims and pressured others into joining their cause. May we remind you: These bullies are picking on children.
We are especially offended they have used our Christian faith to defend their bullying behavior. Nothing could be further from the Christian spirit of welcoming the stranger, defending the vulnerable and following the Golden Rule.
As far back as 1990, the people of our church — and many others in Texas — welcomed transgender persons and their families as equals in the household of faith and beloved of God. The signs on our restrooms read “God created and welcomes us in all of our diversity. At University Baptist Church, all are welcome to use the restroom that best fits their gender identity.”
The bullying “bathroom bill” targets the vulnerable in the name of protecting the public from a problem that does not exist. Our transgender congregants are far more likely than the public to be the targets of verbal and physical assault, not to mention exclusion and discrimination. We are offended that Patrick and Abbott use this bill to demonize our friends by creating public fear based on lies to consolidate their power. Their bill places our transgender congregants and their families in deeper danger of discrimination, slander and even violence.
I couldn’t agree more. When I was a kid in Catholic school, we used to sing a song called “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love”. Do you think anyone knows Dan Patrick or Greg Abbot or Ken Paxton by their Christian love? Maybe there are some policy items in their record they can point to that could be described as “loving”, but they’re not the first things you think of with these guys. And no, I don’t believe it’s necessarily the role of government to be “loving”, but if your brand is Extra Strength Christian, then maybe you could be, I don’t know, just a little Christ-like in your behavior? Just a thought. Yes, as we well know, a bathroom bill would be a job killer and businesses universally hate it, but the reasons to oppose this effort are much more fundamental than that.
On a related note, I would be remiss if I did not mention this.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott may have come to San Antonio on Friday to announce his intentions for a second term, but he also, unintentionally, gave one local activist the trolling opportunity of a lifetime.
After his speech Abbott stuck around to meet with supporters. Enter Ashley Smith.
Now, Smith is no supporter of Abbott, but she is someone who has a very vested interest in the outcome of one of Abbott’s pet pieces of legislation, the so called “bathroom bill.”
The longtime San Antonio resident and LGBTQ activist waited through the speech for an opportunity to meet Abbott.
It wasn’t so she could shout insults or spout off at the governor, it is because sometimes a picture is worth far more than words.
“I did not think it (shouting) would work, or that I would be heard and was more interested in the getting the photograph and not getting thrown out,” Smith said.
The picture she ended up taking was of a very happy looking governor next to a beautiful woman.
In large bright lettering in the photo, Smith captioned it with “#Bathroombuddy,” and identified the governor and herself as “Texas Governor Greg Abbott,” and “Ashley Smith Trans-Woman.”
She then posted the photo to her Facebook page where the humor and irony of it quickly caught on and took off.
Click over to see the picture, if you haven’t already. And just remember, Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick want people like Ashley Smith to be in the men’s room with them. The DMN has more.
So here we are with a special session forced by a guy who made everybody pay attention to HIS ‘nads by having an on the air vasectomy. see: http://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/08/06/Radio-show-host-undergoes-vasectomy-during-live-broadcast/8359681451200/
“There won’t be separate bathrooms for men and women!!!!!” was a war cry during the Equal Rights Amendment debate in the 70s. Unfortunately, it got some traction in places like Missouri.
However, Texas was one of the first states to sign on, and doubled down by passing our own ERA by a landslide… see: https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Equal_Rights,_Proposition_7_(1972)
We have not had an onslaught of bathroom pervs in the 45 years since. For that matter, airplanes have never had separate facilities. Has any man ever become gay or had a seizure or suffered some other horrible result over the sight of a feminine hygiene product dispenser?
But then, as a wise man once said, facts have a known liberal bias.
They need to change the hymn you remembered to “And they`ll know we are christians by our lies”.
I have to admit I laughed at the “bathroom buddy” pic.