Texas Republicans this week filed bills ahead of the state's upcoming legislative session in January, seeking to ban gender-affirming health care for transgender youth and limit minor exposure to drag performances held at nightclubs and bars.
On Monday, Republican state Rep. Jared Patterson introduced a measure to classify any business hosting a drag performance as "sexually oriented businesses" under state law, according to The Hill. The bill would otherwise bar patrons under 18 years old from entering the premises. Charges for violating the measure would include a Class A misdemeanor, which could mean a year of county jail time and a fine of up to $4,000.
Additionally, Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner, also on Monday, filed legislation classifying gender-affirming hormone therapies for transgender children as a form of criminal child abuse.
The bill would criminalize and potentially carry felony charges for "administering or supplying ... a puberty suppression prescription drug or cross-sex hormone to a child ... for the purpose of gender transitioning or gender reassignment."
The Texas GOP in June revealed an updated party platform defining homosexuality as an "abnormal lifestyle choice" while condemning "all efforts to validate transgender identity."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.