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The Texas legislature approved two ‘anti woke’ bills in its closing days amid strong protest – ramming through the laws on the final day of the session.
One of the bills, Senate Bill 12, bans minors from attending drag shows. The other, Senate Bill 17, bans offices and programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion at publicly funded colleges and universities.
Both bills will now go to the desk of the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign them into law.
Bryan Hughes, the Republican senator who championed SB 12, celebrated the passage of the bill, saying it would protect children.
‘Great News: Our bill protecting children from sexually explicit drag shows (S.B. 12) is officially headed to the Governor’s desk,’ he tweeted.
‘These shows are indisputably inappropriate for minors, and we will not allow children to be sexualized nor preyed upon in Texas.’
Protesters are seen in front of the state Capitol in Austin, Texas last month, taking to the streets to raise their voices against a series of ‘woke’ bills
People march to the Texas State Capitol in Austin on April 15, weeks before the legislature passed ‘anti woke’ bills on its final days
Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, will now sign into law both SB 12 and SB 17
Texas follows the lead set by Montana, which last week became the first state to specifically ban people dressed in drag from reading books to children at public schools and libraries.
Bills in Florida and Tennessee also appear to try to ban drag reading events, but both require the performances to be sexual in nature, which could be up for interpretation. Both bills also face legal challenges.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas, who made the bill a priority, said in a statement after the vote that it ‘prohibits sexualized performances and drag shows in the presence of a minor.’
He added: ‘It is shocking to me that any parent would allow their young child to be sexualized by drag shows.
‘Children, who cannot make decisions on their own, must be protected from this scourge facing our state.’
The LGBTQ community have seen both SB 12 and SB 17 as an attack on their existence. People are pictured marching in Austin on April 15
Bryan Hughes, the Republican state senator who introduced the bill banning drag shows for minors
Some have questioned how the drag bill could be prosecuted.
The Texas District and County Attorneys Association, the state’s professional association for prosecutors, pointed out that the bill doesn’t define ‘sexual gesticulations’ for which performers would be punished.
It would also criminalize sexual conduct between 17-year-olds, which is currently legal because the age of consent in Texas is 17.
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‘Pre-coital sexual conduct in private between consenting adults when one or both are 17″ would be illegal, the group tweeted from its official handle.
‘That’s not going to work.’
Critics have also said its wording was so broad it could encompass cheerleading squads.
Mary Gonzalez, head of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, warned it could ‘implicate even the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.’
Violators could get given a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
The business hosting them would be subject to a $10,000 civil penalty per violation.
Drag queens in the state vowed to challenge the law.
‘Well Texas … really devastated about this bill,’ tweeted Cynthia Lee Fontaine, who appeared on Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
‘Very disappointed. But we will continue fighting! This is not over! We are not criminals!’
The second bill, SB 17, defunds diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives – and is part of a national wave of bills, arguing that taxpayer money is being used to stoke racial division and push a liberal agenda in colleges and universities.
The Texas bill, when signed by Abbott, will give colleges and universities six months to wind down their DEI programs.
Brandon Creighton introduced SB 17, which defunds diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in publicly-funded colleges and universities
An Associated Press analysis of legislative bills found at least 30 bills in about a dozen states this year were aimed at ending diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in colleges and universities.
Brandon Creighton, who sponsored SB 17, tweeted: ‘The elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices will result in millions in savings for taxpayers and restore a culture of free inquiry, meritocracy, equal opportunity, genuine innovation within Texas higher education.’
But the Texas Conference of American Association of University Professors (AAUP) said in a statement that the bill sends a clear message to the 1.3 million public university and community college students, ‘that our state is not committed to welcoming students from all backgrounds and to building a public higher education system that is truly inclusive and supportive of all.’
They tweeted: ‘In light of the passage of #SB17 banning diversity, equity and inclusion officers, we ask our public university and community college administrations to look for ways to make the best continuing use of the invaluable service to our campus communities by DEI staff and faculty.’
The University of Texas branch of the AAUP said SB 17 was intended ‘to divide Texans’.
They tweeted: ”Instead of using their power to address gun violence, economic inequality, or fully funding our public schools — legislators stripped transgender youth of their healthcare, attempted to steal taxpayer dollars from our students in neighborhood schools, violated the religious freedom of Texans, targeted border and LGBTQIA+ communities, and continued to ignite culture wars that seek to divide and distract us.’
‘Attacks on tenure, academic freedom, and DEI are exactly this—part of a culture war that seeks to divide Texans. The fight continues.’
