Victory! Texas Defeats Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bans

August 16, 2017

Today we join transgender Texans and their families in celebration because, after many months of courageous storytelling and coalition building, the efforts to pass anti-transgender bathroom ban legislation have FAILED.

“This victory for fairness is a testament to the courageous leadership of thousands of transgender Texans and their families who shared their stories and built a movement to stop discrimination from advancing,” said Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of Equality Federation. “We congratulate them along with Equality Texas, and the many other local groups, businesses, and national partners who had boots on the ground for months on end.”

Chuck Smith, CEO of Equality Texas said, “For those of you who must wake up every day with courage in your hearts just to walk out the front door. For the parents of transgender children who worry daily about their child’s safety and happiness. For anyone who has ever been harmed, discriminated against, slandered or made to feel less than human, just because of your gender identity—this victory is for you. We hope that today, you feel safer and more at home in Texas.” (Read the entire statement here.)

We’ve resisted more than 20 similar anti-transgender bills across the country this year, but none have garnered the level of attention as those in Texas. Federation member Equality Texas showed the nation how to lead in times like these. They engaged and provided support to transgender people and their families of all ages and backgrounds while amplifying their stories. They also built a broad, unwavering coalition of businesses, sports teams, celebrities, politicians, and civil rights organizations.

And together they won.

Sadly, our opposition doesn’t plan on stopping. We expect more fear-mongering and attacks to come. We’ll continue to resist, but for now, we celebrate!

More You might like

Black & LGBTQ+ Organizations Mobilize in High-Stakes Supreme Court Battle

We joined The Center for HIV Law and Policy (CHLP), PrEP in Black America (PIBA), Afiya Center (Dallas), Women with a Vision (New Orleans), SisterLove (Atlanta), and BlaqOut (Kansas City, Missouri) in filing an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief in the Braidwood v Kennedy case on appeal in the Supreme Court in order to take a stand defending access to preventative health care nationally and to protect the Black and brown lives that will be lost should this access be overturned.

March 19, 2025
Leading Doesn’t Have to Be Lonely

Last month, we hosted our New Executive Director Intensive, one of our longest-running leadership programs. For over a decade, this program has brought together Executive Directors who are new in their role to foster healthy, sustainable organizations and leadership practices. Here are inspiring takeaways we got out of this year’s intensive!

March 19, 2025
Spotlight Interview featuring Ronnie, Advocacy, Policy, & Partnerships Director at FreeState Justice

In recognition of HIV is Not a Crime Day and Maryland's recent groundbreaking progress toward HIV law reform, we sat down for a conversation with Ronnie at FreeState Justice, one of our state partners. We discuss Maryland’s historic progress, its significance in the current landscape of HIV criminalization across the United States, and the importance of Black LGBTQ+ leadership in shaping HIV justice.

March 19, 2025
A young man looking up, smilingA young man smiling straight at the camera
Confident young woman standing with crossed arms.

Want To Make A Difference? Support Our Work

With your support, we'll be able to continue our work to build the leaders of today and tomorrow, strengthen state-based LGBTQ+ organizations, and make critical progress on the issues that matter most—like protecting transgender people, ending HIV criminalization and ensuring access to care, and banning conversion therapy across the country.