Texas Governor’s Response to UN about anti-LGBTQ Laws

Texas Governor’s Response to UN about anti-LGBTQ Laws

Governor’s Blunt Rebuttal

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, succinctly dismissed calls for a United Nations investigation into the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation with a brief six-word retort. Abbott expressed his disregard for the international scrutiny in a message on the social media platform X, stating, “The UN can go pound sand.” His administration has been marked by the enactment of multiple pieces of legislation deemed anti-LGBTQ+, with seven such bills becoming law in the past year alone. The state legislature, dominated by the Republican Party, has proposed over 140 anti-LGBTQ+ measures in the recent session.

The UN can go pound sand. https://t.co/JpWguPHGHJ

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 25, 2024

Advocacy Groups Appeal to the UN

In response to these legislative actions, a coalition of LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, including GLAAD, the ACLU of Texas, Equality Texas, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Human Rights Clinic at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, has sought intervention from the United Nations. They argue that Texas’s actions last year constitute a serious degradation of LGBTQ+ human rights and have submitted a detailed letter to the UN. This communication highlights the perceived regression in human rights and calls for a thorough investigation by the international body.

Specific Laws Under Scrutiny

The collective’s submission to the UN underscores several specific laws as indicative of the state’s hostile stance toward LGBTQ+ individuals. Among the contentious pieces of legislation are:

• S.B. 14, prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors and mandating detransition for those undergoing such care within Texas, challenged but temporarily halted by a federal court.
• S.B. 17, eliminating diversity initiatives and discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in public university settings.
• S.B. 15, excluding transgender students from school sports.
• S.B. 12, implementing restrictions on drag performances.
• Legislation aimed at limiting LGBTQ+ content in educational materials and restricting local government’s ability to offer anti-discrimination protections surpassing state laws.

These actions, according to the advocacy groups, collectively undermine the rights and dignities of LGBTQ+ Texans and pave the way for increased discrimination.

Governor’s Controversial Directives

Adding to the controversy, Governor Abbott has recently urged professionals and the public to report parents of transgender minors seeking gender-affirming care, framing it as a child welfare issue. This stance echoes previous attempts by Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to label such healthcare as child abuse, leading to significant backlash and internal conflict within Texas’s child welfare agency.

Conclusion

The request for UN intervention reflects the growing concern over Texas’s legislative direction regarding LGBTQ+ rights, illustrating the deep divisions within the state and the broader national debate on these matters.