Tag Archives: transgender rights

World’s worst pastors file suit against Austin’s equal rights ordinance

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Exactly what you’d expect from these jerks. A Houston-based religious nonprofit behind the so-called bathroom bill is suing the City of Austin over its anti-discrimination hiring ordinance. The U.S. Pastor Council filed suit in a federal district court late last … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Baptist Ministers Association apologizes for its role in overturning HERO

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’m very glad to see this. The Baptists Ministers Association of Houston & Vicinity issued a joint statement with the Houston GLBT Political Caucus saying the two groups “are building a relationship that recognizes our common equal rights struggle.” The … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Federal court ruling says LGBT workers in Texas are protected from discrimination

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is a big deal. For the first time in Texas, a federal judge said LGBT workers should be protected from employment discrimination based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. Judge Lee Rosenthal, the chief judge in the Houston-based … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Did Greg Abbott oppose the bathroom bill?

Posted on March 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Color me skeptical. Gov. Greg Abbott himself was opposed to the controversial “bathroom bill” that dominated debate at the Texas Capitol for much of 2017, according to a state representative involved in keeping the legislation from passing the Texas House. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No, the bathroom bill issue hasn’t gone away

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg tries to argue that the bathroom bill issue has faded away this election, but I don’t buy it and I don’t think she does, either. But there’s one hot-button issue that’s been notably absent: the bathroom bill. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Republicans “against” Dan Patrick

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

RG Ratcliffe reports on a “loose coalition” of business and education interests who are seeking to clip Dan Patrick’s wings. [FBSID Board President Kristin] Tassin is now running for a seat in the state Senate, and she is just one … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Republicans “against” Dan Patrick

Record number of LGBT candidates running this year

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

OutSmart does the math. A record 40 openly LGBTQ people will run for public office in Texas in 2018, according to an extensive review by OutSmart. That’s roughly twice as many as in any previous election cycle in the state’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

TAB wants the Lege to quit it with bathroom bills

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The talk is good. We’ll see about the action. Texas lawmakers spent too much time this year debating bathrooms and immigration, and took their eyes off some matters vital to economic growth, such as phasing out the business-franchise tax and … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Patrick gets a primary challenger

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The plot thickens. Former Rockwall City Council member Scott Milder will challenge Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in next year’s Republican primary, Milder announced formally on Thursday. Milder, a public education advocate and resident of North Texas, is the first Republican … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Patrick gets a primary challenger

The lost Harvey tax break

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have mixed feelings about this. Owners of nearly 300,000 homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey in Texas won’t see any break in their property taxes because of political wrangling this year in the state Legislature over completely unrelated issues – … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The lost Harvey tax break

More trans people are running for office

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The best way to gain political power is to win elections, and to win elections you have to run for office. The first time Dani Pellett tackled the bathroom question was years before the issue of transgender access to restrooms would … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More trans people are running for office

Ruby Polanco

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This happened late last month, and kind of got lost in the Harvey fallout. A year after Ruby Polanco first noticed that the San Antonio Independent School District’s non-discrimination statement for students and employees didn’t mention gender identity, gender expression … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ruby Polanco

Judgmental

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The only bench this guy should be allowed on is a park bench. Jeff Mateer, a high-ranking official in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office who President Donald Trump has nominated for a federal judgeship, said in speeches in 2015 … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Judgmental

The trans community is fully engaged now

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One positive thing came out of this months-long anti-transgender legislative assault. For more than a year, [Dan] Patrick pulled out all the stops for the bathroom bills, which would have restricted restroom use based on biological sex and undone local … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Pastoral malignancy

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Know your enemy. A day before the Texas Legislature ended its special session this week, a session that included a high-profile fight over a “bathroom bill” that appeared almost certainly dead, David Welch had a message for Gov. Greg Abbott: … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

The long view of the bathroom bill

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron considers the future of the bathroom bill. Texas’ controversial bathroom bill, championed by Gov. Greg Abbot and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, may have been declared dead, but some say it could be revived soon enough. “Like Frankenstein, the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Let’s play two?

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, God, please, no. Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday put blame on the House — particularly Speaker Joe Straus — for the shortcomings of the special session and left the door open to calling another one. “I’m disappointed that all … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Smell ya later, Senate

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

How about that? The special legislative session is over — in one chamber, at least. The Texas House abruptly gaveled out Sine Die – the formal designation meaning the end of a session – on Tuesday evening after voting to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

From the “Actions speak louder than words” department

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

RG Ratcliffe of Texas Monthly speaks to former Railroad Commissioner and Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams about his disapproval of bathroom bills. RGR: You told me political parties over time curdle and spoil, but is there something about the debate … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on From the “Actions speak louder than words” department

And then there’s the birth certificate issue

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just another problem that would be exacerbated by a bathroom bill. In order to modify a birth certificate in Texas, the Department of State Health Services requires transgender individuals to present a certified court order stating the recorded sex on … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on And then there’s the birth certificate issue

Halfway through the session

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The House is doing House things, and that’s fine. Brushing aside concerns that they are not moving swiftly enough to enact Gov. Greg Abbott’s 20-point agenda, Texas House members opened the second half of the special session Wednesday with a … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Halfway through the session

Republican voters are “meh” on the bathroom bill

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Texas Association of Business conducted surveys in five GOP-controlled legislative districts across the state the week of July 24th. “Texas business has long opposed the bathroom bill because it is unnecessary and will have significant negative … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Republican voters are “meh” on the bathroom bill

Dear business community: Dan Patrick is not your ally

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the full Chron story about the latest group of business leaders to call for a stop to the bathroom bill. I want to focus on one key aspect of this: A week after police chiefs from Houston, San Antonio … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Still more big businesses against the bathroom bill

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s like there’s a strong, overwhelming consensus or something. Top executives of big oil companies and other major Houston firms and organizations on Monday weighed into the political dogfight over the controversial bathroom bill, calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pushing the NFL Draft angle

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Every angle is going to be needed, and this is one that ought to speak to some folks. The Cowboys’ efforts to land the NFL draft and how it could be derailed by the legislative push for a bathroom bill … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Pushing the NFL Draft angle

The bathroom bill would affect disabled people, too

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another problem caused by this harmful “solution”. As lawmakers this summer debate yet another controversial measure regulating bathroom use based on biological sex, disabled Texans say they — like many transgender men and women — believe the Legislature is … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The bathroom bill in the House

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mostly good news here. Dangerous. Discriminatory. Chilling. Hurtful. Those are words used by House State Affairs Chairman Byron Cook to describe bathroom legislation headed to his committee in the Texas House in the coming days. The Republican from Corsicana said … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The bathroom bill in the House

Senate has mostly completed the Abbott special session agenda

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just going to hit the highlights here because this stuff is happening quickly and often late in the day, but most of the Abbott 20-point special session agenda has been turned into bills that have as of this morning … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The bathroom bill is a threat to Quidditch

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

How much more do you need to know? It’s not quite time to get out the broomsticks in Round Rock. A national quidditch tournament headed to town next year has been put on hold while legislators consider the bathroom bill … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Anticipating the future bathroom-related litigation

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It will be a matter of when, not if, should a bathroom bill passes. [B]oth sides agree if any version of the bathroom bill becomes law, it will likely trigger a protracted legal battle that could have implications for the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Anticipating the future bathroom-related litigation

Senate will hold bathroom hearing tomorrow

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They just can’t wait. From the inbox: BREAKING: The Senate State Affairs Committee is pushing for a hearing on anti-transgender “bathroom bill” legislation this Friday at 9AM, Charles. Intel from the Capitol tells us that Sen. Lois Kolkhorst will introduce … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Long read on the ongoing bathroom bill fight

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Daily Beast. Covers a lot of ground, some of which is familiar but quite a bit of which is new or at least additive. A small sample: Two bills, HB 46 and HB 50, have so far been … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Special session starts today

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

News flash: Businesses still hate bathroom bills

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

IBM hates them. As state lawmakers return to Austin for legislative overtime, tech giant IBM is stepping up its fight to defeat legislation it says would discriminate against children and harm its Texas recruiting efforts. In an internal email sent … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment