Over 140 celebrities have a signed a letter against Texas’s anti-transgender bathroom bill
Given the troubling socio-political times we’re currently experiencing, it’s more important than ever to stand up for equality and people’s rights. That’s why over 140 celebrities have signed an open letter opposing Texas’s anti-transgender bathroom bill.
Much like North Carolina’s House Bill 2, also known as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act which blocks municipality anti-discrimination ordinances and discriminates against transgender individuals, it seems that Texas is preparing for it’s own transgender bathroom bill, which will restrict transgendered people from using the restrooms of their gender identity, instead limiting people’s use of restrooms to the sex that was assigned to them at birth.
To fight this discriminatory and unnecessary bill, more than 140 musicians, actors, writers, and artists have signed an open letter opposing the bill.
Put together by The Ally Coalition, Equality Texas, and GLAAD, the letter contains signatures from the likes of Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Troye Sivan, Britney Spears, Kesha, Julianne Moore, Laverne Cox, Tegan and Sara, Amy Poehler, Janelle Monae, Sia, and Jennifer Lawrence, and aims to show Texas legislators that the world is aware of what they propose to do.
#TXtogether pic.twitter.com/UhS58OYD8r
— GLAAD (@glaad) February 14, 2017
“Texas Senate Bill 6 (SB6) and House Bill 1362 (HB1362) would criminalize and restrict the simple act of a transgender person using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity – a denial of basic human dignity,” the letter reads. “Other legislation in Texas would force teachers to out LGBTQ students to their parents — a violation of the trust built between kids and educators.”
The letter continues to detail how further proposed bills will also threaten non-discrimination laws, equal marriage, and legalize discrimination on campuses and public life.
“Bills like these are a poison,” the letter says, “a barrier between Texas and its future.”
Join me & hundreds of other artists in rallying against anti-LGBTQ legislation in Texas. https://t.co/MxL5H9e8DS #TXtogether #txlege
— Laverne Cox (@Lavernecox) February 15, 2017
Speaking to Billboard, Jack Antonoff of Bleachers, Fun., the partner of Lena Dunham, and a founding member of the Ally Coalition, said that he was drafting celebrities to speak up on the matter because what was happening was not okay.
"Anyone who is awake and aware knows that these quote-unquote bathroom bills or any legislation discriminating against LGBTQ citizens is horrible. Whether it was Ariana Grande, Gloria Steinem, Janelle Monae or Grizzly Bear, it was the most simple 'Yes! Please add my name to this list,'" he said. "That’s where we’re at right now, at a place where the government in place is trying to make life really hard for a lot of people out there. We all have to stand up, even if we’re not from Texas, or LGBTQ -- we all have to say that this isn’t OK with us. And I hope the level of talent on this list opens people’s eyes, and particularly that local legislators will realize how important this is -- to the people living in Texas and to the people coming in and bringing a lot of money to the economy."
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Continuing, Antonoff went on to say that through celebrities and famous faces becoming involved, he hoped that the it would inspire people to become involved.
“As we’ve seen time and time again in the early days of the new administration, protest works. If you call, and you make noise about it, and people know that this will affect their pockets, all of a sudden we see change,” he said.
“If that’s what we have to do to make it so an oppressed group of people aren’t further oppressed, that’s what we’ll do.”
Hopefully with the support of people using their platforms to spread the message against hate and discrimination, lawmakers will realize that their actions have consequences across the whole country, and that there will be opposition.
For more information about how you can become involved in fighting Texas’s anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ discriminatory bills, visit www.txtogether.org.
