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Jan. 8th, 2017
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Jan. 8th, 2017 10:21 pmIf you live in Texas, please read this:
Senate Bill 6 is working it's way through the Texas legislature.
Senate Bill 6 is a bill that denies, very specifically, Male-to-Female transgender folk to use the bathrooms of the gender they present. As well, it requires school faculty to reveal the LGBT status of their students to their parents. Senate Bill 6 is presented in a way that it "protects" people, in this case, specifically women, from trans-folk. And for "protecting families."
Instead, what it does is takes a virtually non-existent situation (that of trans-folk assaulting women), and forces us into another situation that happens all too often: The trans person assaulted in the bathroom of their assigned gender.
It also forces school personnel to reveal to parents if their child is LGBT. If the family is not okay with that, this could lead to ostracism, or even disowning the child. Some may be forced into "conversion therapy," something which is incredibly detrimental to the well being of that child.
This discriminatory and misrepresented legislation creates a very dangerous situation for transgendered folk.
I am a proud Texan. My home is the Texas Hill Country. I know the people of Texas, and know that, while they may be conservative, they are also good folks. The man walking down the street may be wearing a cowboy hat and have a pistol under his duster, but if you smile at him, he'll smile back. I know when presented with the facts and once they've sat down and thought about it, they can do the right thing.
My mother instilled in me a strong sense of civics. I'd planned to actually sit down and hand write a letter to every State Legislator, to present them with compelling reasons to oppose Senate Bill 6. But as I'm now living in Washington State, I have no sway with our politicians in Texas. I do plan to come back to Texas one day: I've got a nice plot of land in Kerr County, and plan to retire back in my beloved Hill Country. But that doesn't mean a thing to them right now.
You, however, are still in Texas.
I ask you, on behalf of your transgendered friends, family, loved ones, and those you don't even know, to write or call your State Legislator and tell them why they need to oppose this bill. I don't care if you're Democratic Legislator is already on board with voting against it - do it anyways. I don't care if it's a lost cause and your Republican legislator is already against it - do it anyways.
The following link will tell you who your representative is. Please find your representative and let them know what you think of Senate Bill 6. They are your representatives. Tell them what you want. And maybe, just maybe, they'll even listen.
Thank you for your time.
--Jenn
The following link will tell you who your state representative is and how to contact them: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.
Senate Bill 6 is working it's way through the Texas legislature.
Senate Bill 6 is a bill that denies, very specifically, Male-to-Female transgender folk to use the bathrooms of the gender they present. As well, it requires school faculty to reveal the LGBT status of their students to their parents. Senate Bill 6 is presented in a way that it "protects" people, in this case, specifically women, from trans-folk. And for "protecting families."
Instead, what it does is takes a virtually non-existent situation (that of trans-folk assaulting women), and forces us into another situation that happens all too often: The trans person assaulted in the bathroom of their assigned gender.
It also forces school personnel to reveal to parents if their child is LGBT. If the family is not okay with that, this could lead to ostracism, or even disowning the child. Some may be forced into "conversion therapy," something which is incredibly detrimental to the well being of that child.
This discriminatory and misrepresented legislation creates a very dangerous situation for transgendered folk.
I am a proud Texan. My home is the Texas Hill Country. I know the people of Texas, and know that, while they may be conservative, they are also good folks. The man walking down the street may be wearing a cowboy hat and have a pistol under his duster, but if you smile at him, he'll smile back. I know when presented with the facts and once they've sat down and thought about it, they can do the right thing.
My mother instilled in me a strong sense of civics. I'd planned to actually sit down and hand write a letter to every State Legislator, to present them with compelling reasons to oppose Senate Bill 6. But as I'm now living in Washington State, I have no sway with our politicians in Texas. I do plan to come back to Texas one day: I've got a nice plot of land in Kerr County, and plan to retire back in my beloved Hill Country. But that doesn't mean a thing to them right now.
You, however, are still in Texas.
I ask you, on behalf of your transgendered friends, family, loved ones, and those you don't even know, to write or call your State Legislator and tell them why they need to oppose this bill. I don't care if you're Democratic Legislator is already on board with voting against it - do it anyways. I don't care if it's a lost cause and your Republican legislator is already against it - do it anyways.
The following link will tell you who your representative is. Please find your representative and let them know what you think of Senate Bill 6. They are your representatives. Tell them what you want. And maybe, just maybe, they'll even listen.
Thank you for your time.
--Jenn
The following link will tell you who your state representative is and how to contact them: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.