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Annise Parker: The Modern American Boomtown
Wall Street Journal, May 20, 2013
Houston's mayor—an openly gay Democrat friendly to business—talks about why her city is the country's fastest growing and most diverse.

Griner: Baylor coach enforced closet policy
Advocate.com, May 20, 2013
Brittney Griner, the out player for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and the league's most recent number one draft pick, said her coach at Baylor University encouraged lesbian players to remain closeted.

Judge says lesbian mom’s partner must go
Dallas Voice, May 17, 2013
Collin County’s John Roach Jr. enforced a ‘morality clause’ in divorce papers saying the woman can’t have roommate unless they’re married.

Anti-LGBT student amendment passes in Texas House
Equality Texas, May 15, 2013
The Texas House this afternoon passed an amendment by Rep. Matt Krause of Fort Worth that would prohibit state universities from requiring that officially-recognized student organizations abide by the school’s non-discrimination policy.

Five LGBT activists arrested outside Capitol
Austin American Statesman, May 9, 2013
Five LGBT activists were arrested after state troopers say they blocked traffic outside the Capitol on Wednesday evening with a banner supporting a bill that would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Rick Perry compares rejecting LGBT people to fighting slavery
RawStory.com, April 7, 2013
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said Sunday that he believes rejecting LGBT people is similar to fighting slavery during the pre-Civil War era. Appearing on the Family Research Council‘s program “Stand With Scouts Sunday,” the arch conservative governor urged the Boy Scouts to stand strong against any impulse to “tear apart” the organization’s values and replace them with the “flavor of the month.”

Dallas mayor says supporting gay marriage a misuse of time
Huffington Post, May 3, 2013
With the Dallas City Council set to vote on a marriage equality resolution on June 12, Dallas mayor and same-sex marriage supporter Mike Rawlings (D) said he thinks the vote is a waste of time.

Five arrested protesting in support of LGBT bill at Capitol
Houston Chronicle, May 2, 2013
Five members of the group GetEqual Texas were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing after refusing to leave two Republican senators’ offices Wednesday. The protesters were urging lawmakers to record a committee vote on Senate Bill 237, which would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Texas.

Equality Texas OK with AG's ruling on domestic partner benefits
KUHF.org, May 1, 2013
State Attorney General Greg Abbott has said it's a violation of the state constitution for local governments and school districts to offer marriage-like benefits to same-sex partners. Chuck Smith, Executive Director of Equality Texas, says cities, counties, and school boards can easily cover their employees' same-sex partners by using what's called a "plus-one" benefit plan.

Equality under Texas law
Houston Chronicle, April 30, 2013
Two bills with support will ensure being gay in Texas isn't a criminal act. Senate Bill 1316 would protect gay teens by expanding Texas' Romeo and Juliet law to same-sex couples and SB 538 removes the state's unconstitutional anti-gay sodomy law off the books.

Confronting LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace
Texas Observer, April 26, 2013
Discrimination in the workplace isn’t just wrong—it’s economically unsound, stressed Reps. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) and Eric Johnson (D-Dallas) in the House Economic and Small Business Development Committee on Wednesday morning. The two representatives authored duplicate bills, HB 238 and HB 1146 to prohibit workplace discrimination against LGBTQ employees.

Dallas health officials monitoring meningitis outbreak in NY, LA
Dallas Voice, April 26, 2013
Three gay men in Los Angeles have died from meningitis since December. In New York seven of 22 who contracted the disease since 2010 have died. Should the gay community be worried about this dangerous strain of bacterial meningitis that appears to have spread through encounters between men?

El Paso mayoral candidate is lone hopeful backing Prop 7
El Paso Times, April 22, 2013
The candidates for mayor all say they believe in equal rights for all people, but only Steve Ortega says he will support a ballot proposition that would include gays in the city's non-discrimination policy and essentially cements the partner benefits that policy now provides.

Texas may finally repeal sodomy law
Advocate.com, April 18, 2013
The repeal would come 10 years after the law was declared unconstitutional. Several other states still have sodomy laws on the books as well.

GetEQUAL expects arrests at action in support of state ENDA
Dallas Voice, April 17, 2013
Activists with GetEQUAL TX are gearing up for possible arrests over the next few weeks as part of their efforts to urge lawmakers to pass workplace nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people. Michael Diviesti, GetEQUAL TX state co-coordinator, said the organization was planning actions that could lead to arrests.

Baylor basketball star reveals she's gay
CBSLocal.com, April 19, 2013
Baylor star Brittney Griner has revealed she’s a lesbian. The Bears center, who was picked No. 1 overall in the recent WNBA Draft (to the Phoenix Mercury) and is considered by many to be an all-time great in women’s college basketball, casually explained her sexual orientation to Sports Illustrated.

LGBT job protection bill sparks Twitter following
Austin Business Journal, April 16, 2013
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte has filed legislation fully expecting it not to pass, believing the gesture is enough and that it highlights a blind spot when it comes to countering discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace. The San Antonio Democrat’s Senate Bill 237 — which has generated interest on Twitter and even has its own hashtag: #SB237NOW

Texas legislative panel advances pro-LGBT bill
Dallas Voice, April 10, 2013
For the first time in 12 years, a state legislative committee advanced a specifically pro-LGBT bill on Tuesday. The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice voted 4-0 to advance SB 1316 — which would provide legal protections for sexually active gay and lesbian teens.

Stonewall Dems gather in Austin to talk pro-equality strategy in Texas
Dallas Voice, April 10, 2013
Texas Stonewall Democrats met in Austin this weekend for the first Equality Forward Summit to discuss how to gain support for pro-equality measures and ultimately turn Texas blue. The event was the first collaborative effort between the Texas Democratic Party and the Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus and drew about 150 people for the weekend’s workshops.

Is Gov. Rick Perry's view on homosexuality evolving?
CultureMap.com, April 10, 2013
As part of a month-long celebration of its new $130 million campus, First Baptist Dallas hosted Gov. Rick Perry on Sunday, April 7. Perry never mentioned specific issues in his 6-minute speech, but many are taking his comments on non-judgmental love and directing them toward gay marriage.

Texas lawmakers consider new legal protections for gay teens
NBCDFW.com, April 9, 2013
In Texas, where attempts to expand gay rights have run into strong opposition from Republican leaders, state lawmakers are considering new legal protections for sexually active gay teens.

Texas A&M student body president vetoes illegal, anti-gay bill
Dallas Voice, April 5, 2013
Texas A&M Student Body President John L. Claybrook has vetoed an anti-gay bill passed by the Student Senate on Wednesday that would have allowed students to opt out of funding the campus GLBT Resource Center with their activity fees if they have religious objections.

Texas A&M Student Senate passes anti-gay bill in 35-28 vote
Dallas Voice, April 5, 2013
After three hours of emotional debate, the Texas A&M Student Senate voted 35-28 Wednesday night to approve an anti-gay measure that would allow students to opt out of funding the campus GLBT Resource Center if they have religious objections.

Gay HIV positive student in Houston subjected to poster smear campaign
PinkNews.co.uk, April 5, 2013
Police in Texas have launched an investigation after flyers surfaced on a university campus detailing the HIV status of a gay student. University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) student Kristopher Sharp told Houston Press he was “really devastated” by the incident and that his first reaction was, “How quickly can I transfer?” to another school.

Bill to bar job discrimination on sexual orientation faces quiet opposition
Houston Chronicle, April 4, 2013
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, backed by members of the LGBT community, compared workforce discrimination based on sexual orientation to the Civil Rights Movement and women’s suffrage while presenting her bill to other senators Wednesday.

Bills target LGBT rights and resources
San Antonio Express-News, April 4, 2013
Efforts to expand rights and resources for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Texans are meeting both quiet and vocal opposition as policymakers debate equal rights and religious freedoms. Two bills in the state Legislature and one in the Texas A&M Student Senate could have a major impact on LGBT rights in the workplace and resources provided at college campuses in the state.

Texas students protest proposed ban on college gender and sexuality centers
PolicyMic.com, April 3, 2013
Earlier this week, what looked like a cruel April Fools’ Day joke turned out to be a real life attack on LGBT students. On April 1, Texas Representative Bill Zedler (R-Arlington) filed an amendment with the Texas legislature that would prohibit institutions of higher education, which receive state tax dollars, from funding, housing, supporting, or promoting “Gender and Sexuality Centers” on their campuses.

A&M student senate targets GLBT Center for budget cuts
Huffington Post, April 2, 2013
A new bill before the Texas A&M Student Senate that campus GLBT activists are calling discriminatory has generated controversy, leading up to an open forum on the measure during the middle of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Awareness Week on Wednesday.

Parents of gay teenage suicide victim drop school district lawsuit
PinkNews.co.uk, April 2, 2013
The parents of a gay teenage suicide victim in Texas have decided to drop their lawsuit against their son’s former school district.

Perry decries gay rights activists as intolerant
Huffington Post, March 28, 2013
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) stood before conservatives gathered at a Faith and Family Rally in Austin on Tuesday and spoke about what he perceives as a sustained attack on their values by gay rights activists. “These are the days when a person is vilified when they state that they believe fundamentally that marriage is between one man and one woman.” Perry said.

Valley residents speak out on same sex marriage rights
KVEO.com, Mrach 27, 2013
Elias Olivarez and his partner have lived in McAllen for 13 years, they believe same sex couples should be at right to equal benefits. Olivarez says, "I've been partnered for 13 years with my partner, we've been together, we have a business together, we have a family, we are committed, and we also believe equality should be for everyone and not just the few."

Lesbian ex-coach alleges double standard at U.T.
Dallas Voice, March 22, 2013
Former University of Texas women’s track coach Bev Kearney has filed race and gender discrimination complaints against the school with federal and state officials, the first step toward her pursuing a lawsuit. Kearney was forced to resign over relationship with an athlete, while the football coach got only a reprimand.

Bill would allow UT employees to share benefits with same-sex partners
Daily Texan, March 20, 2013
A bill in the Texas Legislature would change the state insurance code to allow plus-one dependents of UT faculty and staff — including same-sex partners — to qualify for benefits.

Equality Texas Lobby Day: Republicans, report cards and roll call
By Rev. Dr. Cindi Love, Huffington Post, March 15, 2013
On March 11, 2013, I was privileged to join hundreds of my fellow citizens for Equality Texas Lobby Day in Austin. I wore several hats that day -- member of the Religion & Faith Council for the Human Rights Campaign, Executive Director of Soulforce, licensed clergy fourth-generation Texan and, I like to believe, a disciple of Jesus.

Possibly gay State Representative charged with DWI after Austin crash
Dallas Voice, March 14, 2013
In the 2010 Democratic Primary, challenger Naomi Gonzalez was gay-baited by incumbent state Rep. Norma Chavez, who famously (and redundantly) called Gonzalez “a lesbian woman.” Last night, Gonzalez was charged with DWI following a crash near downtown Austin that injured three people.

Dallas pastor: Gay sex is like plugging electrical cord into wrong outlet
PinkNews.co.uk, March 14, 2013
Texas megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress has suggested gay sex is like plugging an electrical cord into the wrong outlet. His First Baptist Church in Dallas recently was embroiled in controversy after it was announced that Christian football player Tim Tebow was going to attend the grand opening of the new $130 million facility – Tebow dropped out last month.

Hundreds march for LGBT justice in Austin
MyFoxAustin.com, March 11, 2013
Hundreds of members of the LGBT community, and their supporters, marched through downtown Austin Sunday evening. Their goal was to show lawmakers their support for more than 20 pro-LGBT bills that have been filed in the legislature this session.

Two Austin churches move toward inclusion
Austin Chronicle, March 7, 2013
For the Rev. John Wright and his First United Methodist Church, the first step is joining the Recon-ciling Ministries Network – a national group working to change the exclusionary LGBT language in the UMC's Book of Discipline. Although First United isn't the first Austin church to elect to join the RMN, they are the largest – and considered by many to be the denomination's "bedrock" Austin church.

The Equality Poll 2013: Texans support all 11 rights issues
Equality Texas, March 7, 2013
The Equality Texas Foundation commissioned the national polling firm Glengariff Group, Inc. to conduct a random sample update of the baseline poll of registered Texas voters conducted by Glengariff in 2010 on eleven rights as they pertain to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens. The updated poll clearly shows that our vision of a state of equality for all Texans is, indeed, a mainstream value shared by the vast majority of Texans.

Texas elected officials say hell no to gays in Boy Scouts
HoustonPress.com, March 4, 2013
A conservative group called "Texas Values" is taking a new approach in the battle to make sure that no Lone Star boy scout ever, ever gets cooties from being near a gay person -- the group is circulating a letter urging the Boy Scouts of America to reject gay scouts, it's getting elected officials to sign it, and it's proudly trumpeting the results. Right now, it's up to 60 elected officials, and the number is expected to grow.