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During the heated debate over Houston’s equal rights ordinance last year, which opponents labeled a “transgender bathroom predator” bill, Abbott repeated the mantra of “no men in women’s restrooms,” an anti-trans slogan that was echoed in attack ads across the city featuring images of little girls being stalked by pedophiles in public restrooms.Īdvocates have warned that the lingering acrimony over last year’s marriage equality ruling at the U.S.
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He fought a marriage equality case in his former role as Texas Attorney General, and as governor has joined a lawsuit challenging the Obama Administration’s stance that public schools that receive federal Title IX funding should be accommodating to transgender students.Ībbott has also sharply criticized local non-discrimination ordinances passed by cities to protect, among other vulnerable groups, LGBTQ Texans. Greg Abbott responded not only by flying a Florida flag from the governor’s mansion, but also by tweeting out a list of attacks blamed on extremists who were Muslim.īut you probably won’t see a rainbow or trans flag flying over the governor’s mansion this pride month, since acknowledging the Orlando attack as both terrorism and a hate crime targeting a specific, vulnerable group would put politicians like Abbott in a pretty awkward spot.Ībbott is among those conservative leaders who have fought vociferously to deny people in the LGBTQ community equal rights and protections under the law. Michael McCaul, an Austin-area congressman who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, quickly called the shooting at the Pulse night club “the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11” and “a sobering reminder that radical Islamists are targeting our country and our way of life.” Texas Gov. Julian Ledezma The worst-ever mass shooting in a country that’s seen a lot of them happened at one of Orlando’s most popular gay bars early Sunday morning, when authorities say a man armed with an assault rifle and pistol killed at least 50 people and injured dozens more.Īnd with word that the gunman, identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, called police during the attack to pledge allegiance to ISIS, U.S.