LGBTQ+

An appeals court ruled last month Texas can enforce Senate Bill 12, which restricts "sexually oriented" performances in public. Critics say the law is vague and incorrectly portrays all drag performances as sexual.

Senate Bill 12, passed in the 2023 Texas Legislative session is set to go into effect for the first time tomorrow. Our reporter Samantha Larned explains the so-called 'drag ban bill' has been blocked from enforcement for two years. The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that state Attorney General Ken Paxton can obtain records from LGBTQ+ advocacy group PFLAG. The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports it’s part of an investigation tied to Texas’ ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors.

The Texas Supreme Court said the state only needs a reasonable belief that the group may have relevant information, not proof, and allowed PFLAG to redact identifying details about families before producing documents.

Republicans voted to override the governor's veto and put the restrictions into state law. It will require people to use bathrooms in public places that align with their sex assigned at birth.

Republican lawmakers will try to override the Democratic governor's veto and put the ban into law. It penalizes individuals who use restrooms that don't match the sex they were assigned at birth.

The affected departments include African and African Diaspora Studies; Mexican American and Latina/o Studies; Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and several others.

LubbockPRIDE welcomed community members in an event last weekend, geared toward health and wellness, education, and resource sharing. With recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and policies, the organization says that it is vital to provide a venue for queer Texans and their allies.

This past weekend, LubbockPRIDE collaborated with other local groups to provide information and resources for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Our reporter Samantha Larned spoke with an organizer who said that these conversations are especially important right now. The Shallowater ISD Board of Trustees announced yesterday that Aron Strickland will be taking over as the district’s next superintendent.

The system’s chancellor meant to instill clarity and accountability, but three weeks into the spring semester, some instructors say the standards have led to “censorship.”

The groups that operate Texas’ 988 system face a convergence of challenges this year, from expiring federal money to heavier workloads since the Trump administration eliminated the special option for LGBTQ youth.