March 27, 2023      5:18 PM

Passions run high in Texas House and Senate hearings on drag shows, gender affirming care for youth

In hearings last week and today, legislators in the Texas House and Senate heard arguments for and against bills creating restrictions for drag shows as well as cracking down on gender affirming health care for youth. The hearing on Senate Bills 12 and 1601 in Senate State Affairs focused on questions about what constitutes a drag performance and where they can take place. The House Public Health Committee hearing on HB 1686 by Insurance Chairman Dr. Tom Oliverson questioned the science of health care for transgender youth. Chair Stephanie Klick said that on the Oliverson proposal, she’d allow for testimony to continue until midnight tonight.

SB 12 by State Affairs Chairman Bryan Hughes would ban any “a sexually oriented performance” in public where children are present. SB 1601 would deny state funding to libraries where so-called “drag time story hours” occur.

Supporters of the bills, including Dr. Steve Hotze, some pastors, and representatives from the socially conservative group Texas Values, argued the legislation would prevent children from exposure to highly sexualized experiences.

But opponents outnumbered supporters by far in both hearings.

By James Russell

Copyright March 27, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved