LGBT and “Ban the Bible” Bills are Moving! Every session, Democrat state legislators file highly controversial LGBT advancing bills, and bills we call “#BanTheBibleBills” that create special privileges based on sexual orientation and gender identity while simultaneously denying religious freedom. We alerted you early in the session about the large number of LGBT bills that were filed within the first month of session. We call many of them “Ban The Bible bills” because some of them literally would ban Bible-based beliefs on life and sexuality; and some if not all are based on attacking or denying these biblical beliefs in law, policy and society. Every year the Texas Values team testifies against and opposes these bills that would undermine religious freedom, marriage, and family. However, numerous bills with sexual orientation and gender identity specific or related language are moving fast despite opposition. HB 1762 by Mary Gonzalez, a bill that would allow same sex sexual relationships to occur between an older teenager and a kid under the age of sexual consent, was voted out of the Criminal Jurisprudence and is now in the House Calendars committee. A clear “Ban the Bible” bill supported by LGBT groups is HB 689, by Representative Jon Rosenthal, which would put “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in state law as a protected class. For example, if you were in public and noticed that a man was using the woman’s bathroom and you reported this, you could be accused of filing a false report for holding sincerely held religious beliefs on sexual orientation and gender identity. Another LGBT bill, HB 2055, by Representative Venton Jones, a proud advocate for LGBT rights, is also moving fast after a new version of the bill language showed an attempt to weaken the bill. The bill originally would have affected how kids under 18 learn about the risks of engaging in homosexual activity. The new version passed by the committee leaves the important education issue in state law. But the new version of the bill still addresses the deletion of the penal code’s classification of homosexual activity. Even if the bill has been watered down, the movement of this bill and others shows that the influence of the LGBT lobby is growing in its influence at the Texas Capitol. Normally, LGBT and/or “Ban the Bible” bills do not receive this much attention and activity in the legislative session. The real agenda of these bills is to move our state in the direction of redefining or taking away rights from parents, athletes, businesses and working professionals so the government can punish Christian beliefs on these issues and silence anyone who expresses concern or opposition to particular LGBT views of behaviors. Both HB 1762 and HB 2055 are listed as bills to support on the website of the largest LGBT lobby in the state of Texas, Equality Texas. Equality Texas sends emails and testifiers to the Capitol every day to advance LGBT bills and oppose good legislation to keep men out of women’s sports and protect kids from sex change operations and inappropriate library books and to protect religious freedom. We need you to let your legislator know that they should vote “NO” on HB 2055 and HB 1762. Both bills need to be stopped before making it to the House floor. Remind your legislator that they need to vote “NO” on all LGBT and/or “Ban the Bible” bills listed below. While these LGBT bills are moving, many priority bills for our organization and the majority of Texans around the state are not receiving as much activity. Contact your legislators now! | 
