Latest news with #HouseBill3817
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Transgender Texans refuse to be erased as Republicans try to make their existence illegal
As Texas Republican lawmakers consider one of the most extreme anti-transgender bills in the country, Joelle Espeut of The Normal Anomaly Initiative is urging community members to resist fear — and instead, lean into joy and hope. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. House Bill 3817, introduced earlier this month by Republican state Rep. Tom Oliverson and titled the 'Gender Identity Fraud Act,' would make it a felony to identify as a gender different from one's sex assigned at birth on any government or employment document. Violations could carry up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. 'It's frustrating and enraging,' Espeut told The Advocate in a recent interview. 'This isn't about safety or fraud. This is about erasing trans people from public life.' The bill offers no exemptions for people who have legally changed their gender markers and would criminalize updating driver's licenses, birth certificates, and employment records to reflect one's gender identity. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, H.B. 3817 is just one of 527 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced so far in 2025. Texas alone is among the states with the highest number of proposed anti-LGBTQ+ laws this year. Related: Texas Republican bill would make simply being transgender a felony Espeut, who serves as advocacy director at The Normal Anomaly Initiative in Houston, said the proposed law echoes a broader national effort to marginalize transgender people. 'We've been navigating hostile waters for years,' she said. 'But the cruelty has intensified.' Despite the fear, Espeut emphasized the importance of choosing joy. 'I draw inspiration from the younger Joelle, who needed to see someone like me,' she said. 'It's so much lighter to center joy and hope because that's exactly what they're trying to take away from us.' The Normal Anomaly Initiative is a Houston-based nonprofit led by and for Black LGBTQ+ The Normal Anomaly Initiative The Normal Anomaly Initiative is a Houston-based nonprofit led by and for Black LGBTQ+ people. It started as a grassroots project in 2016 and became a nonprofit in 2018. The group focuses on community empowerment, advocacy, and storytelling—helping Black queer people overcome barriers and challenge stigma while building spaces for joy and connection. The organization has received national recognition, including a GLAAD Media Award and a feature on The Jennifer Hudson Show. Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has signed multiple executive orders restricting the recognition of transgender and nonbinary people, rolling back access to gender-affirming care, and banning inclusive federal documentation. One order declared that the federal government would recognize only binary biological sex, prompting the State Department to halt the issuance of passports with nonbinary 'X' gender markers. While legal challenges are mounting—including Orr v. Trump and Kingdom v. Trump, two major ACLU-backed cases—advocates like Espeut stress the need to protect community mental health amid legislative trauma. 'We are not backing down,' she said. 'We're creating spaces of joy because that's how we survive. That's how we thrive.' The Normal Anomaly Initiative is preparing for its annual Black Queer Advancement Festival, a multi-day event celebrating Black LGBTQ+ communities through music, art, and resource-sharing. Courtesy The Normal Anomaly Initiative The Normal Anomaly Initiative is preparing for its annual Black Queer Advancement Festival, a multi-day event celebrating Black LGBTQ+ communities through music, art, and resource-sharing. The theme this year is visibility. The festival kicks off in Houston on May 1 and culminates with a two-day music event on May 3–4. 'This bill is a distraction meant to divide us,' Espeut said. 'But trans Texans are your coworkers, your neighbors, your family. We're not going anywhere.' She added: 'Joy is resistance. And community is our refuge.'
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Bill proposed in Texas could charge transgender people with 'gender identity fraud'
Bill proposed in Texas could charge transgender people with 'gender identity fraud' Show Caption Hide Caption Second federal judge pauses Trump's order against gender-affirming care Democratic attorneys general from Washington state, Oregon and Minnesota argue the order discriminates against transgender people. (Scripps News Group) Scripps News A bill proposed in the Texas legislature could charge transgender Texans with a state felony if they commit what proponents call 'gender identity fraud.' Republican state Rep. Tom Oliverson, who represents a part of Houston in District 130, introduced House Bill 3817 that would amend the Texas Penal Code to add a new form of fraud related to gender identity. According to the bill, 'gender identity fraud' would be commuted if a person 'knowingly makes a false or misleading verbal or written statement to a governmental entity or the person's employer by identifying the person's biological sex as the opposite of the biological sex assigned to the person at birth.' The penalty if someone were to commit "gender identity fraud" would be a state felony, which could land a person in prison for up to two years and a $10,000 fine. The bill is not expected to pass, according to the Texas Legislature tracker, as it has no co-sponsors and has not moved to any committees. Oliverson did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Monday. Not the only anti-transgender moves in Texas The bill, if passed, would essentially ban transgender people in the state from sharing their gender identity with employers, but could also apply to interactions with police or applications for government benefits. This latest proposed bill is not the only anti-transgender policy in the state. In August 2024, the Texas Department of Public Safety ordered its employees to stop allowing transgender people to change their gender on their driver's licenses and state IDs. 'The Department of Public Safety has a responsibility, as stated in its own name, to keep all Texans safe. This policy does the opposite,' the ACLU said of the change. 'Not having accurate driver's licenses jeopardizes trans people's health and safety — by potentially outing us and exposing us to discrimination, harassment, and violence.' Then less than a month later, the state stopped allowing people to change the sex listed on their birth certificates, according to the Texas Tribune. Anti-trans bills have ballooned in number With the 89th Texas Legislative Session underway since early January, almost 100 anti-trans bills have been filed so far, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker. The number has already surpassed the 69 anti-trans bills filed during the last legislative session in 2023. In Texas, state legislatures only meet every other year. Oliverson himself has been a key sponsor of another anti-trans bill in the Texas legislature before. During the 2023 legislative session, he was a sponsor of Senate Bill 14, which banned gender-affirming care in the state and was upheld by the state Supreme Court. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas bill would charge transgender people with ‘fraud'
Transgender Texans could be charged with fraud under state legislation filed this month that seeks to make publicly identifying as trans illegal. House Bill 3817, introduced last week by Republican state Rep. Tom Oliverson, would add 'gender identity fraud' to the Texas Penal Code, punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. The new offense would make it a state felony for a person to identify their sex at birth incorrectly to an employer or governmental entity, which transgender rights advocates say would prevent trans people from applying for jobs, benefits or accurate identity documents. Oliverson did not immediately return a request for comment on the bill, which currently has no co-sponsors or scheduled committee hearings. The Houston-area Republican has introduced or co-sponsored more than a dozen bills targeting transgender Texans since his election to the state Legislature in 2017. This session, Oliverson has signed onto proposals that would bar trans women from entering public women's restrooms and make it simpler to sue a person who helps with a minor's social transition — nonmedical steps to align with their gender identity. Texas lawmakers have introduced nearly 170 bills that threaten to roll back LGBTQ rights, according to Equality Texas, a state LGBTQ advocacy group. The language in Oliverson's House Bill 3817 mirrors efforts by President Trump's administration to both deny the existence of transgender people and equate trans and gender-nonconforming identities with deception. An administration official told reporters last month that transgender women traveling to the U.S. to compete in women's sports competitions will be investigated for 'fraud' under an executive order signed Feb. 5. Another order states that it is a 'false claim' that a person can change their gender. A Jan. 27 executive order claims transgender people cannot serve in the military because their identity 'conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
11-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Texas bill would charge transgender people with ‘fraud'
Transgender Texans could be charged with fraud under state legislation filed this month that seeks to make publicly identifying as trans illegal. House Bill 3817, introduced last week by Republican state Rep. Tom Oliverson, would add 'gender identity fraud' to the Texas Penal Code, punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. The new offense would make it a state felony for a person to identify their sex at birth incorrectly to an employer or governmental entity, which transgender rights advocates say would prevent trans people from applying for jobs, benefits or accurate identity documents. Oliverson did not immediately return a request for comment on the bill, which currently has no co-sponsors or scheduled committee hearings. The Houston-area Republican has introduced or co-sponsored more than a dozen bills targeting transgender Texans since his election to the state Legislature in 2017. This session, Oliverson has signed onto proposals that would bar trans women from entering public women's restrooms and make it simpler to sue a person who helps with a minor's social transition — nonmedical steps to align with their gender identity. Texas lawmakers have introduced nearly 170 bills that threaten to roll back LGBTQ rights, according to Equality Texas, a state LGBTQ advocacy group. The language in Oliverson's House Bill 3817 mirrors efforts by President Trump's administration to both deny the existence of transgender people and equate trans and gender-nonconforming identities with deception. An administration official told reporters last month that transgender women traveling to the U.S. to compete in women's sports competitions will be investigated for 'fraud' under an executive order signed Feb. 5. Another order states that it is a 'false claim' that a person can change their gender. A Jan. 27 executive order claims transgender people cannot serve in the military because their identity 'conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
If passed, Texas bill could charge transgender people with 'gender identity fraud'
A bill proposed in the Texas legislature could charge transgender Texans with a state felony if they commit what proponents call 'gender identity fraud.' Republican state Rep. Tom Oliverson, who represents a part of Houston in District 130, introduced House Bill 3817. If passed, it would amend the Texas Penal Code to add a new form of fraud related to gender identity. According to the bill, a person would commit "gender identity fraud" if they "knowingly make a false or misleading verbal or written statement to a governmental entity or the person's employer by identifying the person's biological sex as the opposite of the biological sex assigned to the person at birth." The penalty if someone were to commit "gender identity fraud" would be a state felony, which could land a person in jail for up to two years and a $10,000 fine. The bill is not expected to pass, according to the Texas Legislature tracker, as it has no co-sponsors and has not moved to any committees. Oliverson did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Monday. HB 3817, if passed, would essentially ban transgender people in the state from sharing their gender identity with employers, but could also apply to interactions with police or applications for government benefits. This latest proposed bill is not the only anti-transgender policy in the state. Last month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the Hutto school district for allegedly violating a 2021 state law that bans students from competing in sports teams that don't align with their sex assigned at birth. Hutto joins a growing list of Texas schools to undergo such an investigation. Paxton has also issued an opinion stating that public school students taking steroids as part of gender-affirming care would no longer be allowed to participate in University Interscholastic League (UIL) sports. Students suspected of taking steroids for such purpose would be barred from participating in athletic competitions until an investigation is concluded. People are also reading: Employee refused to remove pronouns from email signature. A Texas agency fired him for it. In August 2024, the Texas Department of Public Safety ordered its employees to stop allowing transgender people to change their gender on their driver's licenses and state IDs. 'The Department of Public Safety has a responsibility, as stated in its own name, to keep all Texans safe. This policy does the opposite,' the ACLU said of the change. 'Not having accurate driver's licenses jeopardizes trans people's health and safety — by potentially outing us and exposing us to discrimination, harassment, and violence.' Then less than a month later, the state stopped allowing people to change the sex listed on their birth certificates, according to the Texas Tribune. With the 89th Texas Legislative Session underway since early January, almost 100 anti-trans bills have been filed so far, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker. The number has already surpassed the 69 anti-trans bills filed during the last legislative session in 2023. Oliverson himself has been a key sponsor of another anti-trans bill in the Texas legislature before. During the 2023 legislative session, he was a sponsor of Senate Bill 14, which banned gender-affirming care in the state and was upheld by the state Supreme Court. — USA TODAY contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas anti-trans bill would charge people with 'gender identity fraud'
