1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I strongly oppose Texas House Bill 229, which mandates that all state agencies classify individuals as strictly “male” or “female” based on reproductive anatomy. This bill erases transgender, nonbinary, and intersex Texans from public records and opens the door to legalized discrimination in various state-run areas. HB 229 defines “male,” “female,” “mother,” and “father” using rigid biological criteria, ignoring the rights of transgender and gender-expansive individuals. It effectively invalidates their identities, denying them recognition and equal protection. This approach marginalizes a significant portion of our population and undermines democracy’s principles of equality and inclusivity. Furthermore, the bill’s requirement for governmental entities to collect and report data solely based on binary definitions compromises public health, crime, economic, and other vital statistics. Such data collection fails to capture diverse realities, leading to ineffective policies and programs. I urge you to oppose HB 229 and any legislation that erases the identities of transgender and gender-expansive individuals. All Texans deserve recognition, respect, and protection by our state’s laws.