Religious-right activists used a press conference on Wednesday to pressure Texas House members into passing SB6, which would require discrimination against transgender Texans in public restrooms. We sent out a statement in response.
TFN PRESIDENT: POLITICIANS ARE MISUSING FAITH, MISLEADING ON CLAIMS ABOUT SAFETY TO SCAPEGOAT AND HURT LGBT TEXANS
Comments Come after SB 6 Supporters Hold Capitol Press Conference to Pressure House to Pass Discriminatory ‘Bathroom Bill’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2017
Today SB6 supporters held a Capitol press conference to pressure Texas House members to pass their bill, which would require discrimination against transgender Texans in public restrooms. SB6 is one of 25 bills that would promote or require discrimination against lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual (LGBT) Texans. Of those bills, 17 allow government officials, private individuals and businesses to use their personal religious beliefs to discriminate against LGBT people and others.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pushed through passage of SB6 in the Senate last month. The Senate has also moved ahead on other bills, including giving preliminary approval yesterday to SB522, which would allow county clerks and other public officials to refuse to issue marriage licenses to couples to whom they have personal religious objections.
Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller has the following statement about today’s Capitol press conference:
“Lt. Gov. Patrick and his supporters on both sides of the Capitol desperately want to make these bills about religious freedom and protecting women and children, but they’re not about any of that. These bills are really about discrimination and hurting people because of who they are or whom they love. It’s disturbing when politicians use faith and misleading claims about safety and privacy to hide their true intentions, which in this case is to scapegoat and malign LGBT people to score political points with their base.”
