The Week in Quotes (Aug. 13 – 19)

Here are some of the week’s most notable quotes.

Former President Barack Obama tweeted this quote from former South African President Nelson Mandela on Saturday in response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

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Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network. LGBT rights advocates delivered more than 50,000 petitions, to Gov. Greg Abbott and Republican leaders, in opposition to the discriminatory “bathroom bill.”

“We’re here to say Texans across the state won’t rest until the final gavel — and beyond that, we won’t rest until our leaders recognize that discrimination is reprehensible.”

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Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, on “bathroom bill” legislation in Texas. The discriminatory proposal died Tuesday for a second time this year when the Texas Legislature finished its work for the special session.

“Today’s victory shows what can happen when transgender Americans and their allies stay vigilant and push back against legislation that helps no one and harms many.”

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U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, on the special session of the Texas Legislature which ended this week.

“This was a Trump-inspired legislative session. Gov. Abbott has taken us down that ugly path of divisiveness and fear mongering.”

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Dan Quinn, TFN’s communications director, commenting on the right-wing houston-based Pastor Council, a group that played a key role in pushing for the so-called “bathroom bill.”

“They have made anti-LGBT activism their primary focus. They’ve had their most public efforts trying to defeat anything that protects equality for LGBT Texans.”