Civil rights organizations in Texas have filed a formal letter with the United Nations, raising the alarm on a "deteriorating human rights situation" for LGBTQ+ people in the state.
Equality Texas, ACLU of Texas, GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, and the University of Texas at Austin School of Law Human Rights Clinic submitted the joint letter.
In a press release, political advocacy organization Equality Texas said the letter, addressed to 17 experts, working groups, and special rapporteurs, is meant to illustrate the ways LGBTQ+ Texans are having their rights to non-discrimination, privacy, health, freedom of expression, and education violated.
It references 141 bills filed by members of the Texas Legislature during the 88th legislative session in 2023, seven of which advanced and became law. Those pieces of legislation are:
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- Senate Bill 14: Bans gender-affirming medical care for transgender children
- Senate Bill 17: Bans public universities from having diversity, equity, and inclusion programs
- Senate Bill 15: Restricts transgender athlete participation in college sports
- Senate Bill 763: Allows schools to use religious chaplains for counseling purposes
- Senate Bill 12: Prohibits "sexually oriented performances" on public property that a minor could view. Which the letter says is an attempt to target drag shows
- House Bill 900: Allows schools to restrict access to LBGTQ+ books by labeling them as "sexually explicit"
- House Bill 2127: Resrticts local governments from enacting non-discrimination ordinances.
The letter claims these laws are part of a "systemic discriminatory policy" against LBGTQ+ Texans in violation of international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
"If we go back to 2019, we had less than 20 Anti-LGBTQ bills filed in this state." Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas said, "We meet every two years, and by 2021, there were 76 Anti-LGBTQ bills that were filed, that's almost four times as many as in 2019."
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"It's not just the legislature, yes seven bills passed in 2023." But Martinez, said activists are also worried about action in state agencies, and an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ policies in schools.
The letter asks the U.N. to work with the U.S. federal government to take action to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
