Texas House bill would target teachers and schools that support transgender kids

Texas House Bill 1655 threatens to strip funding from schools that allow children to express a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. That includes adopting preferred pronouns, hairstyles and clothing that differ from standard gender expression.

Activists spoke out against the bill during Tuesday’s public testimony in the House Education Committee. They decried the Republican-backed proposal for targeting a marginalized community that’s already under attack even though it represents less than 1% of the population.

Texas filed a record number of anti-trans bills this legislative session, including a redux of previous sessions’ unsuccessful bathroom bill. The Trans Legislative Tracker is currently monitoring 127 anti-trans bills in the state legislature, which among other things, seek to limit members of the community’s access to healthcare, birth certificates, sports teams and more.

HB 1655 would allow parents to report a teacher whom they believe has supported a student in “socially transitioning,” meaning expressing a gender other than their biological sex. Schools found to be in violation could see their state funding withheld.

“Basically any teacher who’s supportive of a kid who wears clothes or has a hairstyle that’s different from the type of gender expression normally associated with that kid’s assigned gender at birth — that teacher is open to investigation,” said Becky Bullard — a progressive political influencer known online as @democrasexy — in an Instagram video from the Capitol’s parking garage.

Bullard, one of the speakers during today’s public hearing, mentioned that her daughter — who isn’t trans — likes to wear oversized boys’ shirts for comfort.

“So, if a teacher is like, ‘Hey, I like your shirt,’ is that supportive of a possible gender transition?” Bullard asked rhetorically. “This is ridiculous.”

In a tweet, the bill’s author, Fort Worth Republican Nathan Schatzline, said he seeks to ban the social transitioning of children in K-12 education entirely.

“Schools are meant for educating our kids, not indoctrinating them,” Schatzline, a former pastor, said in his remarks on the House floor Tuesday.

Members of the public can leave comments about HB 1655 through the House Public Comment portal.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.