Spokespeople available in Spanish and English for additional comment or interview at request
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2025
CONTACT: Shannon Jensen (she/her), [email protected], 631-671-5352
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas House last night advanced Senate Bill 8, commonly known as the “bathroom ban.” SB 8 would prohibit transgender and gender-diverse Texans from using public restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities consistent with their gender identity. Instead, the bill mandates the use of facilities according to sex assigned at birth.
Texas Freedom Network Political Director Rocío Fierro-Pérez (she/her) issued the following response:
“House members who voted for SB 8 have chosen to prioritize political theater over the safety and dignity of transgender children and Texans. This bill does not make communities safer. It isolates children, stigmatizes families, and puts transgender Texans at greater risk of harassment, humiliation, and violence simply for trying to live their daily lives.
“Government overreach into how we use the bathroom is unacceptable. Texans are worth more than lawmakers who spend their time stripping away the safety and dignity of transgender Texans while weaponizing fear to deny people the basic freedom to exist safely in public life. Regulating bathroom access not only hurts transgender people, but it also opens the door for invasive gender tests at every public restroom. Texas Freedom Network will continue to fight alongside transgender Texans and families until they are fairly represented in our state.”
In 2026, TFN and our youth organizing arm, Texas Rising Action, will endorse candidates who fight for every Texan’s right to live authentically and with dignity — free from government overreach that targets trans Texans.
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The Texas Freedom Network (tfn.org) is a grassroots organization of religious and community leaders and young Texans building an informed and effective movement for equality and social justice.
