Tristen Cortez EDINBURG – Over 140 anti-LGBTQ+ legislative proposals were identified by advocacy group Equality Texas in the 88th Texas Legislative Session last year, prompting the organization to send a letter to the United Nations last Monday.
The letter, co-signed by four other advocacy groups in the state, asserted that bills previously entered in to the Texas House of Representatives and Senate could negatively impact the LGBTQ+ community.
Of the 141 proposed bills, seven have become law in Texas, such as Senate Bill 14, which prohibits life-saving medical care for transgender children under the age of 18.
Johnathan Gooch, the communications director of Equality Texas, said the organization has campaigned at the Capitol to protect human rights.
“International human rights treaties trumped state law,” Gooch said. “So I think it’s important that our state lawmakers be held accountable for violations of international human rights law.”
Other bills mentioned in the letter include Senate Bill 17, which previously banned diversity, equity, and inclusion offices at college campuses.
According to a news release from the Texas Senate, Senate Bill 17 stated that the bill would ensure campuses instead focus on the strength of diversity through individuals’ merit.
Amanda Quintanilla, a film production sophomore at UTRGV, said she disagrees with the ban.
Quintanilla, who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, hopes changes are made in Texas’ lawmaking.
“I think if they talked with people who are part of the LGBT community and found out that they’re just people like them, that they’re not so scary and it’s not something that should try to be banned,” Quintanilla said.
Gooch reiterated that Equality Texas hopes the letter will encourage the United Nations to call on human rights groups to publicly denounce anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Texas in the near future.
