On Tuesday, May 2nd, protesters gathered at the Texas Capitol to demonstrate against Senate Bill 14 (SB 14), a proposed legislation that would ban gender-affirming healthcare for trans minors. The bill had already passed in the Senate and was expected to be passed in the House. However, the protest halted the vote.
The peaceful protest turned confrontational as Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers clashed with the demonstrators, resulting in arrests and some being banned from the statehouse. Adri Pérez, an organizing director with the Texas Freedom Network (TFN), was shown in a video being thrown to the ground, physically restrained, handcuffed, and arrested by troopers.
The bill would block trans kids from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy, which are considered medically necessary by medical professionals and activists. Trans youth who are already receiving such gender-affirming care would have to be “weaned off” and eventually stop taking them under this proposed legislation, effectively forcibly detransitioning young kids.
LGBTQ+ advocates, including Sofia Sepulveda, community engagement and advocacy manager of Equality Texas and a board member of the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), protested the proposed ban by displaying banners and peacefully participating in the democratic process. Sepulveda was forcibly removed by DPS officers and banned from entering the statehouse for a year.
Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO and president of GLAAD, called Sepulveda’s removal and banishment from the statehouse “unbelievably harsh and an unacceptable assault on basic freedoms.” The All In For Equality coalition, composed of various organizations, condemned the treatment of protestors at the Texas Capitol and is “closely monitoring the situation.”
The debate on SB 14 continues to threaten the healthcare rights of trans youth in Texas. The bill would harm directly queer and transgender Texans and block them from accessing life-saving healthcare. While the protest stalled the vote, activists are urging Texas legislators to protect the freedoms and rights of all Texans.