AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE) — House Bill 25 passed in both chambers of the Texas Legislature. The bill bans transgender children from playing school sports of the gender with which they identify.
Eight-year-old Sunny Bryant has been in the spotlight this legislative session as an advocate for transgender youth.
“If I didn’t go, they wouldn’t know what really was in my heart and the true stories,” Sunny said. “I think I should be able to play on girls sports teams because I am a girl.”
Sunny, a transgender girl, and her mother Rebekah testified numerous times in opposition to several transgender bills.
“We’ve been back and forth to the Capitol 7 times now," Rebekah Bryant said. “We worked on a testimony together and she said what she wanted to say and we formulated it and she was excellent her first time.”
As this bill has been the center of attention in the Texas Legislature, the Texas Child Welfare Agency removed a webpage that offered resources to LGBTQ youth.
“It’s cruel and I believe that it was taken down during suicide prevention month or awareness month and it just shows who this bill is actually targeting,” said State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, a Democrat who represents Dallas. “The people who support this legislation, authored the bill, claim that it’s to protect women in sports, but in reality we know who it’s targeting and its targeting transgender kids once again.”
“I think it’s pathetic and I think that it’s another example of their fear of what they don’t understand,” Rebekah said.
Supporters of H.B. 25 said this bill will keep girls safe and it's been a long time coming.
“The UIL has stated they are getting more inquiries from their member schools. People say this is not necessary on and on and on and on. This is already a practice in UIL right now, that to determine your eligibility in a sport, we look at your birth certificate to determine your sex. That's already in there,” said Republican State Rep. James White.
House Bill 25 will now go back to the House before it can be sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.