1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I'm a gay Texan. My husband and I have been married for 10 years, and right now we're scared—not of our neighbors or community, but of what's happening in Austin and Washington. You're making decisions about my life and my family without knowing us. We're part of 1.8 million LGBTQ+ Texans, the second-highest population of any state, yet you treat us like we don't belong here. I grew up in the 1980s when calling gay people slurs was normal. I thought we moved past that. But watching the Texas Legislature lately feels like we're going backward. You're villainizing transgender and nonbinary Texans who just want to live their lives. I can't imagine being a transgender kid in this state right now. Like 16-year-old Marshall Romero in Houston, who worries schools are becoming less welcoming. These are teachers, nurses, and small business owners—not trying to ruin your lives, just trying to survive theirs. The bathroom bill (SB8) is hostile and hurtful. It doesn't solve real problems, it just tells LGBTQ+ Texans we're not welcome in public spaces. But this attack goes beyond bathrooms—it threatens everything we've built. If the Supreme Court overturns same-sex marriage, our marriage would immediately become illegal in Texas because of laws still on the books. That terrifies us. Marriage means everything to us. We never thought we'd have this right. It's not just paper—it's seeing my husband in the hospital if he's injured. It's my family, once homophobic, now being proud of us. It's finally being accepted after feeling like I'd never fit in. It's survivorship rights without costly paperwork. It's one simple word that explains our relationship and commitment. We're actively planning where to move. Why must we flee the place we love to have the same rights as everyone else? Rep. Jolanda Jones said it perfectly: "I didn't come out until age 50 because I knew the world wasn't safe." She warned your bills "make kids sicker, sadder, more alone." Dallas realtor Bob McCranie created "Flee Red States" because friends kept asking "what's your plan B?" Families are leaving after generations here, like Susan and Brian who gave up 25 years in Austin for their transgender child. We're about to join them. I believe foreign adversaries use social media to divide us. Every minute arguing about bathroom bills is a minute not fixing our power grid or funding schools. This isn't the Texas I'm proud of. This isn't how Christ would treat neighbors. "Love your neighbor as yourself" has no exceptions. Remember we're all Texans.