GLAAD and Equality Texas issued a release highlighting a week of protest at the Texas state capitol in Austinwhere measures targeting transgender children are being considered during the legislature's third special session of the year.
Three bills being considered during the month-long special session, which began Sept. 20, target transgender kids and seek to restrict their access to K-12 school sports. One of those bills, SB 3, passed the state Senate and now only needs House approval in order to reach the governor's desk; the other two House bills were referred to committees.
Texas special sessions last a maximum of 30 days, meaning fewer than three weeks remain for pro-LGBTQ+ advocates to fight the anti-trans bills.
All of the proposed sports bans mandate that Texas youths only be allowed to compete in sports under the sex on their birth certificatessomething that is already a rule in place under the state's UIL (University Interscholastic League) that governs primary and secondary school athletics competitions.
Texans held two protests at the state capitol in Austin. On Sept. 29, faith leaders from Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions spoke in opposition to state-sponsored attacks on transgender youth at an event that was livestreamed on Facebook. On Sept. 30, trans youth and families rallied with advocates from a number of state and national groups including Equality Texas, Transgender Education Network of Texas, Texas Freedom Network, ACLU of Texas, HRC, Lambda Legal and PFLAG.