The Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has called a special session of the state legislature beginning July 18, and the anti-transgender “bathroom bill” will be on the agenda.
Abbott laid out 19 items that he will then ask legislators to take up. Among those 19 items: a so-called “bathroom bill” that would regulate which restrooms transgender Texans can use.
“We need a law that protects the privacy of our children in public schools,” Abbott said, reiterating his support for a proposal that did not make it to his desk during the regular session, House Bill 2899.
The Dallas Morning Newsreports on Texas’ anti-transgender “bathroom bill,” which took another step towards passage last night.
The Texas House voted late Sunday on a bill that will keep transgender public school children from using the restroom that matches their gender identity.
The measure, a Republican deal on the “bathroom bill,” passed the GOP-dominated chamber by a vote of 91-50. It needs one more vote to officially pass the House. If the Senate agrees to the measure, and Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t veto it, Texas will become the second state in the nation to pass such legislation.
Debate was emotional and divisive, with Democrats likening it to a Jim Crow-era attack on defenseless kids and Republicans insisting the measure did not single out or target anyone.
“America has long recognized that separate but equal is not equal at all,” said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a Houston Democrat who has served in the House since 1972. “What’s wrong with treating kids with equality and not making them feel like they are second-class citizens?”
“Transgender students are God’s business, and you know what, He loves them, too.”
The measure would keep transgender kids from using multi-occupancy school bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity, unless no one else is present. If other children are around, they’d have to use a different, single-use restroom elsewhere in the school.
Trump supporter Alexander Jennes Downing, 35, literally terrorizes a family during a day at the beach.
In the video below, taken by the family that afternoon, Downing walks over and confronts them, screaming, “You’re a f****** Muslim, motherf*****.”
When another beachgoer attempted to defuse the situation he cut around the man to return yelling, “You will never ever, ever, stop me, my Christianity, from rising above your Sharia law. Your Sharia law don’t mean s*** to me.”
Later, Downing grabbed his crotch yelling, “Donald Trump will stop you. Donald Trump will stop you!”
While enjoying our time at the beach during a family reunion, our kids and us had to experience ugliness and aggressiveness in the worse shape and form possible.
We were staying at the South Padre Pearl hotel and went to the beach through their private access. My father was approached by two woman who were also enjoying their time. The women asked him to help with talking to a stranger who was harassing them. All my father said to the guy was “please enjoy your time and have fun and let everyone else here enjoy their time.” The guy seemed to listen and walked away.
He then came back to my father and started throwing racist comments. He was yelling so loud that my uncles and my brother came over from the water to see what was going on. The insane man came close to the kids and that’s when my uncle stood up to him and defended us and the kids, including my 4 year old cousin, 4 and 2 year old nephews.
The video here shows a glimpse of what we all had to experience.
It is worth mentioning that we contacted South Padre police and the man left on his way back to the hotel. A little after that the police came and told my father to call them again if he harasses us again.
We went back to playing in the water and sand then the insane man came back with even more aggressiveness and more racial slurs. We called 911 again as you may be able to hear on the video. After about 20 minutes of him going crazy he left back to the hotel.
The police then came back and they arrested the man at the hotel restaurant. When we spoke to the hotel management, they said they couldn’t do anything at the time because he is in police custody and that if they see him, they will evict him.
The next morning my uncle saw him at the front desk and talked to the management. They plainly told us that they can’t do anything about it right now and that if he does this again he will be arrested. I don’t understand what it takes for this hotel to take actions. Do they need someone to get hurt?
Finally, thanks to the cops who took the insane man right away and assured us that this is a nice place but every now and then they get a crazy person like this.
Overall we enjoyed the lovely island and we will definitely go back to South Padre again, we surely will never go back to Pearl South Padre hotel, Texas again.
Not sure if it’s the same Alexander Jennes Downing, but according to this website, a man with the same name who looks a lot like him was charged a few months ago with “Battery Domestic Violence” and “Abuse of Elderly or Disabled Adult.”
Downing’s family must be so proud.
Is this what Donald Trump means when he says Make America Great Again?
Watch below. The lunatic really gets going around the 2:40 mark.
• Pretty fair to say Ryan Kelsey of the Chippendales (above) is ready for summer. Me? #MoreWine
• The Trump campaign has deleted all references to the now-infamous press release stating Donald Trump’s call for the “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the United States.
• NPR has a First Listen to the yummy new Broadway cast recording of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler.
• A Chechen fugitive reports that a gay 17 year-old was thrown off a 9th story balcony by his uncle in order to “wash the shame” from his family.
• Tom Holland, the newest actor to spin a web as “Spiderman,” pulls off a no-holds barred performance on Lip Sync Battle with full-on drag and dance to Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” Watch below.
• And speaking of Texas, did you hear the one about the idiot who stole a rainbow flag from flying at a church so he could leave an American flag in it’s place? With the flag was a note reading, “I didn’t agree with your flag so I took it down. If you don’t agree with this one, you can take it down. P.S. there are only 2 (two) genders.” No worries, though – the church figured it would happen some day, and had a backup Pride flag waiting in the wings.
• Even the cops get in on the act at New Orleans’ Easter Parade:
Republican lawmakers in the Texas state Senate have approved a bill which would allow judges and elected officials to opt-out of issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on personal religious objections.
The bill passed an early vote by 21-10 with only one Democrat voting for the legislation. A final Senate vote should come later today, and then the bill heads over to the state House.
Texas’ Republican-controlled Legislature only meets every two years, meaning state lawmakers weren’t able to respond to the high court’s June 2015 gay marriage decision until now. Should the bill become law, however, it will almost certainly be challenged as unconstitutional by federal lawsuits.
Opponents say it sanctions discrimination and defies the nation’s highest court.
“The Texas Senate today said it has no problem with public officials picking and choosing which taxpayers they will serve,” Kathy Miller, president of the progressive activist group the Texas Freedom Network, said in a statement. “This bill opens the door to taxpayer-funded discrimination against virtually anyone who doesn’t meet a public official’s personal moral standards.”
Similar bills in other states have not withstood legal challenges.
• The upcoming merger of AOL and Yahoo will create a new company named “Oath.” Really? Oath?
• At least 10 high school athletes in La Vernia, Texas, have been arrested for “hazing” after allegedly sexually assaulting a younger student with the threaded end of a CO2 tank.
• Pop goddess and long-time LGBT ally Kylie Minogue was told to cut shots of same-sex couples kissing from her awesome 2010 music video for “All The Lovers.” Kylie refused to cut the kisses because she felt the video was an “homage to her gay audience who helped propel her initial success.”
• West Hollywood gay bar, The Abbey, is getting it’s own reality TV show, What Happens at the Abbey (above pic) a la Vanderpump Rules. The show premieres on E! May 14th at 10pm.
• RuPaul has some advice for any bachelorette parties who want to celebrate at gay bars: “Check yourself before you wreck yourself.”
• A gay HIV/AIDS activist will seek the Democratic nomination to fight for a Texas congressional seat that has been held firmly by 32 year incumbent, Rep. Joe Barton.
• Tens of thousands of New Yorkers, tired of footing the $146,000 daily cost of protecting the First Lady, have signed a petition demanding Melania Trump move into the White House.
• The Republican-controlled House just voted to kill internet privacy rules from the Obama era, meaning internet providers can now sell your browsing history to the highest bidder.
• Rep. Maxine Waters takes on Bill O’Reilly’s racism with some straight talk: “Don’t allow these right-wing talking heads, these dishonorable people to intimidate you or scare you.”
The Texas Senate on Tuesday tentatively signed off on the so-called “bathroom bill” on a 21-10 vote with one Democrat — state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. of Brownsville — voting in favor of the bill.
Senate Bill 6, a legislative priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would require transgender people to use bathrooms in public schools, government buildings and other publicly-owned facilities that match their “biological sex” and not gender identity. And it would preempt local anti-discrimination laws meant to allow transgender residents to use public bathrooms that match their gender identity.
The floor vote came a week after a marathon hearing during which senators heard 13-plus hours of public testimony from hundreds of individuals, largely in opposition, before advancing the legislation to the full Senate.
The upper chamber must still give the legislation a final stamp of approval before sending it on to the House. That vote, known as “third reading,” could come as early as Wednesday.
Assuming the bill passes out of the state Senate, it heads to the House where the future is less clear for the legislation. House Speaker Joe Straus told reporters last week, “I’m not a fan of the bill.”
