A proposed bill aimed at protecting public employees, teachers and students who misgender their peers cleared the Texas Senate on Thursday, moving one step closer to becoming law.
, authored by Republican Sen. Bryan Hughes of Mineola, would prevent state agencies and schools from punishing employees or students who refer to another person using terms 鈥渃onsistent with (their) biological sex,鈥� even if that term doesn鈥檛 match the person鈥檚 gender identity. According to the bill, this law wouldn鈥檛 limit a school 鈥渇rom adopting policies and procedures to prohibit and prevent bullying.鈥�
鈥淎 teacher may have a moral or religious objection that prevents them from using language with a student or other person鈥檚 biological sex,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淣o teacher, no public employee, should be punished for using a pronoun consistent with a person鈥檚 biological sex.鈥�
The bill was passed on a vote of 20 to 11. This came after Sen. Jos茅 Men茅ndez, a Democrat from San Antonio, offered a floor amendment on Wednesday that would鈥檝e offered similar protections to those who choose to express their gender identity.
鈥淭here are gonna be people out there that are going to feel as if this legislation is trying to take away their right to exist as who they are,鈥� Men茅ndez said on Wednesday. 鈥淛ust like we can鈥檛 force anyone to use pronouns, we can't also force someone not to have them or express them.鈥�
Hughes pushed back against the proposed amendment, saying his bill wouldn鈥檛 prevent 鈥渟omeone from asking to be identified as whatever they wish,鈥� but would instead prevent teachers and other public employees from being 鈥減unished because they get it wrong.鈥�
Men茅ndez鈥檚 amendment was ultimately struck down on Wednesday, paving the way for the bill鈥檚 final passage one day later. The bill now heads to the Texas House for consideration.
