In this episode of the Austin DSA Batcast, we’re covering the fight for trans rights in Texas. Our Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy campaign formed at the beginning of this year to combat bills filed in the state legislature that attack access to healthcare and public spaces for transgender and intersex Texans. Of the 64 bills the campaign was tracking, 6 ultimately passed, with 3 in particular having devastating potential for queer youth. We sit down with TRBA Co-Chair Rox S to discuss where we can go from this point, but first, we’ll take a look at the history of trans existence and activism in Texas, and what exactly is behind the movement to erase trans life here.
If you live in the Austin area, sign the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy campaign’s pledge to get and use an Enhanced Library Card as a primary form of ID whenever possible! Add your name to pledge here: tinyurl.com/ELC-ID-Pledge
[This episode was recorded on June 29, 2025.]
SHOW NOTES
Rox's testimony against HB 778
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIb9GRhIyoD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=ejFtdjZxeWE5aHR1
Rox's Op-Ed in Austin-American Statesman about HB 778
Texas history is queer history
https://equalitytexas.org/queer-texas-history/
Austin’s queer history is extensive, with a track record of landmark victories for LGBTQ+ rights spanning decades.
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2019-08-09/the-history-of-the-lgbtq-movement-in-austin/
The indigenous history of trans people in Texas dates back to even pre-colonial America
Trans rights comes to the forefront at the turn of the century, and Texas sets several milestones
https://getplume.co/blog/gender-affirming-care-in-texas-a-historical-look/
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2019-08-09/the-history-of-the-lgbtq-movement-in-austin/
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