3 days ago
Austin LGBTQ+ advocates oppose gender-defining bill awaiting Gov. Abbott's approval
The Brief
A bill defining a person's sex based on biological sex at birth is headed to Governor Abbott's desk.
Proponents call it the "Women's Bill of Rights," aiming to protect women's rights and spaces, while LGBTQ+ advocates fear it will lead to discrimination against trans individuals.
If signed, Texas would join over a dozen other states with similar laws, and the bill would go into effect on September 1st of this year.
AUSTIN - Soon to head to Governor Abbott's desk is a bill that would define a person's sex in Texas.
If Abbott passes it, Texas would be joining more than a dozen other states with similar laws.
Proponents call House Bill 229 the "Women's Bill of Rights," but LGBTQ+ advocates worry this bill could be used to discriminate, specifically, against those who identify as trans.
The bill defines a female or woman as someone whose reproductive system is developed to produce ova.
The bill would require that strict definition to be used on documents and other data collected by the government. It would require transgender and intersex people to use the sex they were assigned at birth in state records.
Supporters of the bill say it protects single-sex spaces like locker rooms, bathrooms and prisons.
What they're saying
Sherri Brodell is among the people concerned. She's also a proud mom of four.
"My dream, our dream as a family, is to have a home where our kids can come back, and our grandkids can come back, and we have big family reunions and big holidays, and just like every other family," said Brodell.
But unlike most families, she's helping one of her kids create an exit plan out of the state when they turn 18. That child is trans, and she's asked FOX 7 not to identify them out of safety concerns.
"The laws in our home state are making it so that we're not welcome here," said Brodell.
"Every time someone has to present that paperwork, and it doesn't match what they appear to be, then you are increasing the risk of violence, discrimination, and just emotional trauma," said Brodell.
"This is not a singular story," said Kitty Ferguson-Mappus, who owns Unbroken Abundance Therapy in Georgetown. "We are the only openly publicly affirming practice in Williamson County."
This legislative session, she said she's seeing more LGBTQ+ patients seeking help.
"There's a level of cultural trauma that's happening where you're put in the community, and just these microaggressions and trauma is happening minute by minute sometimes," said Ferguson-Mappus.
"They need to know that they are creating an environment where people don't want to live," said Brodell. "They would rather die than exist here and so, as a parent as a trans kid, that's what I'm fighting to prevent. I'm fighting to prevent my child from feeling like exiting this world is the only solution."
The other side
Bill advocates, like Austin State Rep. Ellen Troxclair, argue it will protect women.
"We're going to pass the women's bill of rights, a bill that we shouldn't have to pass, in 2025," said Troxclair. "By defining what a woman is today, we are protecting their basic rights to privacy, safety, and fairness."
What's next
Governor Greg Abbott said on X he plans to sign the bill.
It would go into effect on September first of this year.
The Source
Information in this article came from FOX 7 interviews and previous coverage.
