LGBTQ+

A Waco judge who refused to marry gay couples is now suing to overturn marriage equality. KERA's Toluwani Osibamowo reports on her long-running dispute with the state’s judicial oversight agency. Over the weekend, Oregon advanced in the College Football Playoffs and will face Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl, and Tech’s men’s basketball team upset No. 3 Duke in dramatic fashion.

Multiple civil rights organizations are seeking to block parts of Senate Bill 12, a sweeping state law that prohibits discussions about gender identity in public schools as well as student clubs based on sexual orientation.

The attorney general's complaint form is the latest effort to enforce new state restrictions on which restrooms transgender people can use in public buildings.

Following the Dec. 1 memorandum from Texas Tech University System Chancellor Brandon Creighton, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent letters to each of the five presidents within the Tech system, calling upon them not to restrict academic freedom or classroom instruction based on viewpoint.

Effective immediately, Texas Tech University faculty are prohibited from ‘advocacy or promotion’ of certain topics related to sex and race in their professional capacity. A memorandum from system chancellor Brandon Creighton outlines materials which will be required to go through a review process overseen by the board of regents.

Texas lawmakers passed the bill, referred to as the "Women's Privacy Act" by supporters, earlier this year. It requires a person in publicly owned buildings to use restrooms, locker rooms, and similar facilities associated with the gender on their birth certificate. Enforcement of the controversial new law begins this Thursday.

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.