The Texas House on Tuesday night, May 14, voted to advance House Bill 1106, legislation that "rewrites the state's legal definitions of 'abuse' and 'neglect'" by amending the Texas Family Code to "clarify that refusing to affirm a child's gender identity or sexual orientation, including refusing to use their updated pronouns or name, even if it has been legally changed, does not constitute child abuse," according to reports by the Texas Freedom Network.
Also on Tuesday, the House passed Senate Bill 1257, "which would effectively create a discriminatory 'Trans Tax' by requiring insurance companies to cover unlimited liability for 'all possible adverse consequences' related to gender transition-related care," TFN notes.
Regarding HB 1106, Texas Freedom Network Political Director Rocío Fierro-Pérez said, "This bill tells LGBTQIA+ kids across Texas that their pain doesn't count -- that being dismissed, misnamed, or denied support isn't just tolerated, it's protected by law.
"HB 1106 dresses up rejection as a right Fierro-Pérez continued. "But the truth is, when lawmakers carve out space for families to ignore who their kids are, they're creating a shield for cruelty. Wrapped in the language of 'parental rights,' HB 1106 invites rejection and erasure into the home and labels it as care. When lawmakers vote to strip away recognition and affirmation from young people who need it most, they are endorsing harm."
Fierro-Pérez added, "We know the risks are deadly for LGBTQIA+ youth when they're denied affirmation. And we know this bill will only make it harder for them to be safe at home. No child should have to prove they deserve respect."
TFN pointed to data showing that LGBTQ young people in Texas already experience adverse mental health outcomes and lack access to mental health care. A 2024 report from the Trevor Project found that LGBTQ young people in Texas are at high risk for suicidal ideation, with 42 percent reporting that they'd seriously considered suicide in the past year, while 66 percent reported symptoms of anxiety and 55 percent experienced symptoms of depression.
The Trevor Project's research also found that transgender and nonbinary young people who live in households where their pronouns are respected reported lower rates of suicidal ideation.
During the bill's third House reading, when questioned by Democratic Rep. Gene Wu, Republican Rep. Matt Shaheen of Plano, who authored the measure, admitted he had not requested official documents from the Department of Family Protective Services asked officials for the details on cases he claims prove the concerns laid out in the bill. Shaheen's only reported sources were news articles, according to TFN.
HB 1106 must now move through the Texas Senate to reach the Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for his signature.
SB 1257
The Texas House was originally scheduled to debate HB 778, the House companion bill for SB 1257, on Tuesday, but legislators instead chose to swap out HB 778 for SB 1257, since SB 1257 has already passed through that chamber. This "last-minute decision allowed the legislation to reach the governor's desk more swiftly, leaving LGBTQIA+ advocates and allies who had mobilized against HB 778 feeling that the process was undemocratic and lacking transparency," TFN notes.
Fierro-Pérez said, "SB 1257 is a tax on trans people" that "places unfair, excessive burdens on Texans seeking the same quality of health care their neighbors receive. The implications go far beyond paperwork. This bill discourages coverage of essential and even life-saving care, including counseling and therapy.
"At a time when 46 percent of trans and non-binary young people have seriously considered suicide, our state leaders are choosing to erect new barriers to mental health care rather than break them down. That is immoral," she said.
Fierro-Pérez charged that SB 1257 "violates a fundamental Texas value: the right to make personal decisions without government intrusion" and "inserts politics into the most private and personal aspects of people's lives. Trans Texans deserve the same opportunities to live full, healthy lives as anyone else. They deserve dignity, support, and access to care, not punitive laws crafted to make their existence harder."
TFN says the bill's broad language would "make insurance coverage for essential transgender healthcare prohibitively expensive or entirely unavailable, forcing transgender Texans to pay substantially more for basic medical services than their neighbors or go without vital care altogether."
Pick up the Friday, May 16, issue of Dallas Voice for more on these and other pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation making their way through the Texas Legislature.