Legislative Update 2/20: Hooray!

Published on Feb 21, 2015

This week: Hooray for marriage! and more work to be done.
Contact your lawmakers using our ACTION CENTER.
http://equalityfederation.salsalabs.c...

Learn more about the legislation we're working on at the LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION CENTER.
http://www.equalitytexas.org/content....

Join us for Family Advocacy Day on March 23. Register at https://hq-equalityfederation.salsala...

and Freedom Advocacy Day on April 13 register at https://hq-equalityfederation.salsala...

Transcript:

Hooray!

My most heartfelt congratulations, and the congratulations of the entire Equality Texas team go out to our friends Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant who celebrated their 30 year relationship by marrying in Austin yesterday.

I’m Daniel with Equality Texas and this is the legislative Update for week ending February 20th, the 39th day of the Texas Legislature’s 140 day regular session.

While the first marriage of a same-sex, cisgender couple in Texas in recent memory is exciting! there’s been some other exciting news in the legislature you may have missed.

On Tuesday, while scores of people of faith, both LGBT and allied, were in the halls of the capitol advocating for LGBT equality, Rep. Jessica Farrar of Houston filed House Bill 1522, which prohibits discrimination in Public Accommodation in Texas.

Marriage is great! and it’s a huge step forward. What we’ve seen in other states that have achieved the freedom to marry but that don’t have protections from discrimination in employment, public accommodation and housing is that the people who get married on a Friday, often get fired on a Monday.

That’s why it’s more important than ever that we come together to work for these protections.
Farrar’s HB 1522 would insure that no one is denied service at a restaurant or a store because of who they love or who they are. And, more importantly, that if they are they will have a local legal recourse to address the problem.

47% of Transgender Texans report being verbally harassed in a place of public accommodation because of their gender identity or expression. 47%! This issue is epidemic and I want to thank Rep. Farrar for taking steps to address it.

You can help her by contacting your state representative and asking them to support the bill through our action center, we’ll put the link in the notes.

And join us next Thursday, Feb 26th, for a town hall on housing discrimination in San Antonio.

I hope we’ll see you all for Family Advocacy Day on March 23rd. If your family would like to lead a team please contact us, we’ll put the e-mail in the notes. The registration deadline for Family Advocacy Day is March 16 and space is filling up quickly so reserve your spot today.

Until next week, I’m Daniel with Equality Texas.