LGBTQ+

The new race and gender policy has garnered condemnation from educational rights advocates, including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which sent a letter to the board of regents earlier this week arguing that the policy amounted to censorship.

A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas can enforce Senate Bill 12, which restricts "sexually oriented performances" in front of kids. The judges said drag shows aren't necessarily sexual, and the plaintiffs, including a drag performer and two entertainment companies, may not be harmed by the law.

Judges who decline to perform weddings based on their religious beliefs won't be violating state rules on judicial impartiality, the Texas Supreme Court said in a comment added to the state judicial conduct code Friday.

Last week, Texas Tech University's system chancellor Tedd Mitchell sent a memorandum on the universities' compliance with state and federal orders regarding discussions of sex and gender. Our Samantha Larned reached out to the chancellor’s office and has more. After identifying several rabid bats in the area, the City of Lubbock is reminding residents not to handle wildlife and what to do if you or a pet have a potential rabies exposure.

Professors are afraid to publicly speak out, system leaders left key questions unanswered and advocates worry for LGBTQ+ students’ mental health.

The governor signed Texas' Senate Bill 8 into law on Monday. The so-called "bathroom bill" prohibits people in many publicly owned spaces from using restrooms that don't align with the sex listed on their birth certificate. LGBTQ+ groups and advocates are calling the measure another attack on transgender Texans.

Dubbed a "parent rights" bills, Senate Bill 12 bans DEI programs in K-12 schools — and prohibits clubs LGBTQ+ students say are vital resources.

Members of Lubbock’s queer community and their allies showed up to the city council chambers for the third June in a row, advocating for the city to recognize Pride Month. Organizers and participants said the council did not acknowledge their campaign or protest.

"They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law," then-Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the June 26, 2015, ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. "The Constitution grants them that right."

The ruling comes just weeks after a federal lawsuit was filed in an effort to block the school’s ban on drag shows.