Tag: Texas

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Texas: “Bathroom Bill” Dies Again As Special Legislative Session Ends

From NBC News:

A Texas “bathroom bill” targeting transgender people died again late Tuesday along with many of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s summer demands as an already bruising legislative session was derailed by Republican backbiting that could preview an even nastier 2018 primary season.

It is the second time that North Carolina-style bathroom restrictions have failed to pass in Texas, and Abbott gave no indication he would order weary lawmakers to stay in Austin and try again – which would risk a third failure over what has erupted into one of the most high-profile bills in any U.S. legislature.

Corporate heavyweights from Amazon to Exxon Mobil lined up against the measure, as did some top law enforcement agencies, and opponents celebrated the latest failure despite the support from the governor and influential social conservatives who drive GOP politics and primaries in Texas.

“Today’s victory shows what can happen when transgender Americans and their allies stay vigilant and push back against legislation that helps no one and harms many,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, a national LGBT rights group.

JoDee Winterhof, senior vice president for policy and political affairs at the Human Rights Campaign, issued a statement which read in part, “We hope that this time, this issue remains settled: Texans don’t want harmful, anti-transgender legislation. First and foremost, these bills were defeated because of the many voices that came out in opposition, saying, ‘don’t discriminate in the Lone Star State.’

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Texas’ “Bathroom Bill” Looking Less Likely As Special Session Nears End

With only a few days left in the special session of the Texas legislature called by Gov. Greg Abbott, Senate Bill 6, the anti-transgender “bathroom bill,” hasn’t even had a committee hearing placed on the schedule in the state House.

And according to the chairman of the committee that would handle the bill, a hearing any time soon looks unlikely.

From The Advocate:

Rep. Byron Cook, chairman of the House State Affairs Committee, said this week he had no plans to hold a hearing on the bill, which must pass his committee before going to the full House.

“Quite candidly, at this point, I don’t know what a hearing would add when we already had hearings” during the regular session, he told Austin TV station KXAN. In that session, the bill passed the Senate but stalled in the House. Some supporters are still holding out hope that it could be attached to other legislation, but that seems unlikely as well.

The testimony during the regular session was heavily against SB 6, which would require students, staff, and visitors in public schools to use the restrooms and other single-sex facilities matching the gender on their birth certificate or an ID issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and would put the same restriction on those using facilities in buildings overseen by local governments. It would also override portions of city ordinances that allow trans people to use the restrooms of their choice.

“Corporate America is stepping forward, speaking loudly about the fact that this will have a chilling effect on business opportunity in this state,” Cook recently told The New York Times. “I’m hearing from many major corporations about this bill and the effect it will have.”

Companies that have stated their opposition include IBM, Amazon, Apple, Dell, Microsoft, Intel, Capital One, Ben & Jerry’s, Facebook, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. The overall list of opponents encompasses more than 650 businesses, chambers of commerce, and convention and visitors’ bureaus, according to the Texas Association of Business, which has organized a campaign against the bill with a coalition called Keep Texas Open for Business.

The bill passed the state Senate two weeks ago, but the moderate Republican Speaker of the House Joe Straus is no fan of the legislation, and has indicated he may not even bring the bill to the floor for a vote.

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Podcast: Trump Bans Transgenders From U.S. Military; Texas Senate Approves Anti-Trans “Bathroom Bill”

In this mid-week podcast from The Randy Report, two big stories:

• President Trump bans – via tweet – any transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military calling them “a burden.”

• The Texas State Senate has approved it’s hateful, anti-transgender “bathroom bill.”

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Podcast: Texas’ Anti-Trans Bill; Star Trek Discovery; New Jersey’s Support For Trans Students

Listen in as I discuss this week’s LGBTQ headlines including:

• The Texas Legislature is on its way to approving an anti-transgender “bathroom” bill

• Rhode Island becomes the 9th state to ban harmful “ex-gay therapy”

• New Jersey passes required guidance for trans students

• Star Trek Discovery will feature its first gay romantic couple

• We may soon find out if Academy Award winner Moonlight opened the door for more mainstream success for queer-themed cinema

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report.

For past episodes, or to subscribe to the podcast for free, click here.

And, by the way, please feel free to share The Randy Report podcast with friends. It’s a great way to catch up on the week’s LGBT political, pop culture and entertainment headlines in about 15 minutes 🙂

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Texas Association Of Business Announces 7 Figure Media Buy To Oppose Proposed “Bathroom Bill”

As the Texas legislature begins debating an anti-transgender “bathroom bill” during a special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott, Jeff Moseley, CEO of the Texas Association of Business, announces a seven-figure media buy to oppose the hideous bill.

Via press release:

“Today the Texas Association of Business is announcing a seven-figure media buy in opposition to the unnecessary bathroom bill.

“For more than 95 years, TAB has been on the front lines of every issue that impacts Texas businesses; and today we represent more than 2,000,000 employees and $6 Billion in business.

“What affects business in Texas affects ALL Texans: it affects our schools, our roads, our state budget, and our quality of life. When businesses succeed, Texas communities and families succeed.

“The bathroom bill distracts from the real challenges we face and would result in terrible economic consequences—on talent, on tourism, on investment, on growth, and on small businesses. That’s why TAB and the Keep Texas Open for Business coalition are investing heavily in this effort and remain steadfastly opposed to this unnecessary legislation.”

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News Round-Up: July 19, 2017

With Grammy Award winner Richard Marx

Some news items you might have missed:

• File this under “Someone needs attention:” Donald Trump, all butt hurt from Senate Republicans’ failure to repeal and replace Obamacare, has hastily scheduled a rally in Ohio next week so his followers can love all over him.

• GOP Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas jumped the subway tracks that connect Congress to avoid speaking to reporters after his announcement with fellow Senator Mike Lee torpedoed the Republican health care bill last night.

• A Brigham-Young professor was fired for writing a pro-LGBT post on her Facebook. #SRSLY

• Andrew Garfield has clarified his now-infamous “gay without the physical act” comment saying he was taken out of context. And he was.

• Dallas businessman Jeffery Payne, owner of the Dallas Eagle and a former Mr. International Leather, has announced he will run for governor challenging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s bid for re-election.

• I was down on the Las Vegas Strip yesterday interviewing the fab Richard Marx (above), who is about to begin his residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas in August. I attended a sneak peek of his show, “Satisfied: Only The Hits,” later in the evening. A tiny bit of last night’s showcase is posted below. Podcast interview coming up soon!

A post shared by Randy Slovacek (@randyslovacek) on Jul 19, 2017 at 12:08am PDT

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Transgender Woman Brilliantly Trolls Texas Governor On Proposed “Bathroom Bill”

Ashley Smith, a transgender Texas woman, brilliantly trolled Gov. Greg Abbott with this pic posted to Instagram.

Posing with the governor after the announcement of his re-election campaign, Smith shared the photo on Instagram after tagging #BATHROOMBUDDY across the top.

Along with the pic, Smith captioned the post saying, “How will the Potty Police know I’m transgender if the Governor doesn’t?”

The Texas Legislature begins a special session called by the governor where a big focus will be on passing an anti-trans “bathroom bill” which would require trans people to use public restrooms which correspond to the gender listed on their birth certificate.

I should note, however, that even states that actually provide public accommodation protections for trans people can’t ensure they will be treated with respect.

Here in Las Vegas, a transgender woman visiting from San Francisco was recently barred from using the ladies room at the New York-New York Hotel. Nevada state law expressly says gender identity is a protected class against discrimination in the state.

This is why we need The Equality Act passed in Congress which would address LGBT protections on a federal level.

Of course, that’s not going to happen with the current Republican controlled Congress.

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Podcast: HGTV’s Gay Married Hosts, SCOTUS To Review Denying Services For Same-Sex Weddings, Pentagon Delays Trans Recruits

In this week’s headlines on The Randy Report podcast:

• The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review whether a Colorado baker can refuse to sell a wedding cake for a same-sex couple

• The Pentagon hits “delay” on allowing transgender recruits to join the U.S. military

• The Texas Supreme Court gets it wrong on same-sex married couples rights

• HGTV has it’s first show hosted by a married gay couple

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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Texas Supreme Court: No Inherent Right To Marriage Benefits For Same-Sex Couples

The Texas Supreme Court ruled today that just because the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell decision made same-sex marriage legal across the country, that doesn’t mean a guarantee of equal spousal benefits.

Which is bullshit.

From the American-Statesman:

A unanimous Texas Supreme Court concluded Friday that there is no established right to government-provided spousal benefits in same-sex marriages.

The 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established the right to same-sex marriage did not decide all marriage-related matters, leaving room for state courts to explore the decision’s “reach and ramifications,” the all-Republican Texas court said.

Supporters of gay marriage have vowed to appeal such a ruling to the federal courts, arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court clearly stated that all marriages must be treated equally.

“The Texas Supreme Court’s decision this morning is a warning shot to all LGBTQ Americans that the war on marriage equality is ever-evolving, and anti-LGBTQ activists will do anything possible to discriminate against our families,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and the advocacy group GLAAD.

There are 9 Republicans and zero Democrats on the Texas Supreme Court.

To be clear, there is no ambiguity regarding the SCOTUS ruling on marriage equality. Married same-sex couples are due the exact rights, privileges and benefits as opposite-sex married couples.

The SCOTUS Obergefell v. Hodges ruling clearly says the Constitution “entitles same-sex couples to civil marriage ‘on the same terms and conditions as opposite-sex couples.’”

This week alone the U.S. Supreme Court slapped the state of Arkansas for trying to deny same-sex parents’ right to have both their names on a child’s birth certificate. And, SCOTUS did so without even hearing arguments.

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Podcast: RuPaul Sashays To Hollywood Walk Of Fame, Virginia Could Elect 1st Trans Lawmaker

In this week’s LGBT news on The Randy Report podcast:

• Virginia could elect the country’s first out transgender legislator this fall

• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs “license to discriminate” bill into law

• Military chiefs have asked for a six month delay in recruiting transgender recruits

• Six members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS resign saying that President Trump “doesn’t care about HIV”

• Broadway Bares takes this year’s edition of the scintillating charity event back to college raising over $1.5 million in one night

• And RuPaul gets to sashay his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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