BTWI Statement Concerning SB 6 Senate Committee Passage

TransGriot Note:  BTWI statement concerning SB 6 passage out of the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2017
Contact: Monica Roberts BTWI Media Chair
Carmarion Anderson  BTWI Founding President
855-255-8636  Ext 11
media@blacktranswomen.org

BTWI is saddened but not surprised as a Texas based organization.to note that the unjust SB 6 bill attacking the humanity and human rights of Texas transgender people cleared the Republican dominated Senate State Affairs Committee on a 7-1 vote in the early morning hours of March 8.

The bill now goes to the Texas senate floor despite 13 hours of testimony of Texas overwhelmingly opposed to it.  Black Transwomen, Inc proudly adds its name to the long list of organizations that are vehemently opposed to the passage of SB 6

BTWI thanks Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) for standing up for the human rights of transgender Texans with her State Affairs committee NO vote.  We also thank Senators Sylvia Garcia (D-Houston), Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso) and Borris Miles (D-Houston)  for also standing with our community against this unjust bill.  

We at BTWI hope that others in the Texas Senate and Texas House will join them in publicly opposing this misguided bill that fuels the hellfire flames of transphobic bigotry against trans Texas.

Thanks to the BTWI, BTMI and BTIPS members, our founding BTWI president Carmarion Anderson, and Black Trans Advocacy leadership team members who journeyed to Austin to take part in Trans Texas Lobby Day on March 6.

Thanks also to our BTWI board member Monica Roberts who participated in the March 6 Lobby Day and testified at the March 7 marathon State Affairs committee meeting along with other concerned Texans.

As BTWI has noted, six of the seven trans women we have lost in 2017 are Black trans women. SB 6 if passed will only raise the level of anti-trans hatred in the Lone Star State and elsewhere that feeds into the anti-trans discrimination and violence we face,  

Black Transwomen, Inc will fight to ensure that the Texas Legislature is aware Black trans Texans exist, and know that our voices matter in this SB 6 conversation.

The transphobic commentary from a Black San Antonio minister makes us painfully aware at BTWI just how much ongoing work we must do in order to eradicate transphobia from our Black community ranks.

SB 6 is not yet Texas law.  We at BTWI/along with our coalition partners will fight this unjust bill every step of the way throughout the legislative process until it is defeated.

 BTWI will also continue to fight until every Texan gets the message that trans rights are human rights.