May 22, 2015

Update: Victory! All of the anti-LGBT bills in Texas have been defeated for now. Some were fixed, some pulled, and some disallowed. We offer a huge congratulations to Equality Texas! They will be releasing a legislative score card next week. 

Like its neighboring state of Oklahoma, Texas has seen a dizzying number of anti-LGBT bills this session, 22 to be exact. 

Federation member Equality Texas helped to soundly defeat four preemption bills that would have invalidated local LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances. Also defeated was an amendment to a bill for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (SB 206) that would have prevented LGBT families from adopting children.

Now a state representative may attempt to amend his “Defy the Supreme Court” bill HB 4105, which was defeated, onto another bill being voted on the House floor -- SB 2065 – the “Clergy Protection Act.” The amendment would bar the state from granting, enforcing or recognizing marriage licenses for same-sex couples even if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down state bans on such marriages as unconstitutional.