ACLU of Texas Comment on House Voting to Pass Anti-Trans Youth Sports Bill

AUSTIN, Texas - October 14, 2021 - The Texas House voted to advance discriminatory H.B. 25, which would ban transgender students from participating on K-12 athletic teams as their authentic selves. The bill could be approved quickly by the Texas Senate before being sent to the governor's desk.

The following quote can be attributed to Adri Perez, policy and advocacy strategist at the ACLU of Texas: :

"Texas lawmakers voted today to deliberately discriminate against transgender children. Excluding transgender students from participating in sports with their peers violates the Constitution and puts already vulnerable youth at serious risk of mental and emotional harm

There is no evidence that transgender kids pose any threat. It is indefensible that legislators would force transgender youth and their families to travel to Austin to defend their own humanity, then blatantly ignore hours of testimony about the real damage this bill causes. Trans kids and their families deserve our love and support - they've been fighting this legislation for months. Texans will hold lawmakers accountable for their cruelty."