Texas Senate passes bill on definition of woman: "reality and truth"

[Jessica_Rose]

Texas Senate passes bill on definition of woman: "reality and truth"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texas-senate-passes-bill-on-definition-of-woman-reality-and-truth/ar-AA1FCu32?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=ad25345892d848b0b969a772f696f901&ei=7

Story by Shane Croucher (28 May 2025)

The Texas Senate passed a bill requiring the state to adhere to a biological definition of men and women, a move campaigners welcomed as a win for "truth and reality" and one that protects single sex spaces such as locker rooms.

But advocates for LGBTQ rights said the bill is harmful to the lives of trans people, who will face greater marginalization and discrimination as a result.

Called the "Women's Bill of Rights," Texas senators passed HB 229 by 20 votes to 11, sending the bill to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature.

The bill, once signed into law, will mean state records, such as birth certificates and driver's licenses, must reflect the sex of individuals at birth, not their preferred identity.

State Sen. José Menéndez, a Democrat, called the bill a "form of state-sponsored discrimination."

"If a law forces non-binary Texans, who are real people, into categories that don't reflect their lived experiences or identities...that would actually become discrimination in practice," Menéndez said, the Texas Tribune reported.

Earlier in the day, Trump had threatened to pull "large scale" federal funding from California if it allowed a trans school athlete to compete in state championships as a girl.