If I may: stretch out of the fetal position. Take a deep breath. Put on whatever jacket makes you feel confident, and strike a power pose. My therapist made me get a new cactus, so maybe do that, too.
Take another deep breath.
I am not about to tell you that it’s okay, because it is not. I am a physically disabled transgender Texan (and I have a soul). I am going to tell you things I know and things I feel, and hopefully some of my hope, anger, and resolve rubs off on you.
Texas Rising Students Lead the Way
TFN’s Texas Rising students did incredible work across the state of Texas: registering voters, door-knocking in dorms and neighborhoods, feeding voters waiting in line, distributing literature, educating their peers and communities, and more this 2024 election cycle. In Corpus Christi, Texas Rising Action students voted to endorse Sylvia Campos for City Council. Councilwoman-elect Campos ran on protecting our climate’s future and fighting for sustainable environmental policies, and she won reelection after months of hard work. Texas Rising Action students in Dallas endorsed Rep. Mihaela Plesa, a champion for LGBTQIA+ Texans, public education, and reproductive rights. Rep. Plesa flipped her seat last election by only 900 votes—and won this week by thousands.
Local Victories That Matter
While most Texans didn’t have reproductive justice on their ballot this November, Amarillo did. On top of Texas’s near-total abortion ban, the city placed an ordinance on the ballot to criminalize traveling on Amarillo’s roads to get an abortion. Alongside the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance and Texas Impact, our incredible Just Texas faith community members and organizers (abundant love to Just Texas Manager Shan Schaffer!) educated and mobilized people of faith who believe in every Texan’s right to choose what happens to their bodies. Together, Amarilloans showed up at an incredible rate and resoundingly defeated the ordinance by a whopping 20 percentage points—a massive win for reproductive freedom in a deeply conservative area of the state.
Voters made a difference at the school board level too. In Round Rock, TFN endorsed a progressive slate of three school board trustees: Michael Wei, Melissa Ross, and Chuy Zárate. As school boards across Texas attempt to ban books by or for queer people and people of color, endanger queer children through forced outings, and block transgender children from even using the restroom—Michael, Melissa, and Chuy committed to protecting them. And they won.
It wasn’t long ago that I was a trans child in a red county. The morning after the 2016 election, I remember a particularly unkind person telling me that the results were proof of what America thought about “people like me.” Round Rock told their trans children and their children of color that they deserve a safe and affirming school, and even momentary peace for a single one of those kids matters.
So to everyone across the state who voted for progressive candidates, talked to their loved ones, shared information online, knocked on doors in their community, volunteered at the polls, registered people to vote, and supported TFN and Texas Rising’s work this election season: thank you. Truly, thank you.
Beyond the Ballot Box: What’s Next
But elections are not the beginning or end of combating the religious right in Texas. In less than two weeks, the State Board of Education will meet for a final vote on whether or not to allow a Bible-infused reading curriculum into our public schools, and we need your help telling them that Texans don’t want our public schools to become Sunday schools.
Elections are also not the beginning or end of our relationships with elected officials. We elect our representatives for a variety of reasons: We might agree with their platforms, share their values, and trust their willingness to listen — or we might settle for the candidate we think will harm our communities the least. Now that they’re elected, it’s time to lean on that willingness to listen where it exists, and where it doesn’t – get in the way of the harm.
I am ready to get in their way and not move. I am ready to draw line after line and make demand after demand. I am ready to testify, protest, organize, lobby, educate, advocate, and fight. I am ready to piss off the religious right. And I’m more than ready to do all of this with you by my side.
Texas state legislators will start filing bills on Nov. 11. In less than a week, our allies will begin laying out their vision for a beautiful, affirming, loving Texas, and our opponents will set out to do the opposite. We will be watching—sign up for our legislative updates here—and come January, we will be at the Texas State Capitol.
We look forward to seeing you there.
