Texas SB8 Bathroom Bill: Discrimination's Impact on TX Economy

SB 8 is not about safety. It's about discrimination. Studies show that transgender Texans already face disproportionate violence, homelessness, and health disparities. Passing a bill that blocks them from restrooms only magnifies their risk. It solves no real problem, but creates massive economic harm. According to the Texas Association of Business, this discrimination comes with an $8.5 billion annual price tag and threatens 185,000 Texas jobs. We're already seeing the damage - Salesforce relocated 2,000 employees, San Antonio lost $21 million from canceled conventions, and medical school applications dropped 16% as doctors flee the state. North Carolina's similar bathroom bill cost them $3.7 billion. Meanwhile, Texas businesses employing over 322,000 people oppose these policies because they understand discrimination kills economic growth. The numbers prove inclusion pays. Texas has 1.8 million LGBTQ residents contributing to our economy, yet current discrimination costs us $289-385 million annually in health disparities alone. A comprehensive nondiscrimination law would create 700,000 new jobs by 2045 and generate $130 billion in tax revenue. When we exclude our neighbors, we exclude opportunity and investment. Instead of debating how to exclude neighbors from bathrooms, we should focus on problems affecting every Texan. Floods are killing residents, while our power grid is teetering on collapse. Texans need solutions, not scapegoats. Reject SB 8 and show leadership that values people and prosperity, not politics.