Debate on a controversial Texas bill to ban young transgender people from accessing surgery, puberty blockers and hormone therapy was stalled Tuesday amid furious protest, with police and activists trudging outside the House chamber.
Demonstrators in the hall, sitting in the stands, began to chant loudly as the SB14 was discussed – unfurling banners, clapping and shouting.
The Sergeant at Arms was asked to remove the agitators, who chanted ‘trans rights are human rights’ as they were dragged from the room.
Police and demonstrators then came out of the hall together: images shared on social media showed demonstrators being pushed to the ground and restrained by officers.
Minutes after the protesters were removed, an expected vote on the bill was postponed until later in the week after a parliamentary concern was raised.
Texas police wrestle a protester to the ground in the state capitol
Police are trying to evacuate the Capitol on Tuesday
Protesters chanted, clapped, cheered and unfurled banners in the Capitol, then were removed from the venue
Opponents of SB14 can be seen in the Capitol on Tuesday
The Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Capitol, has not confirmed whether any arrests have been made.
According to the Texas grandstandchanted the protesters in the lobby and a trooper used a megaphone to order them to leave.
Police then began leading protesters down the stairs as several troopers and two protesters began shoving and shoving each other.
The police then handcuffed one person and led them away.
If Texas succeeds in passing Senate Bill 14, it will join at least a dozen other states that have so far banned gender-affirming care — Georgia and Tennessee being the most recent, according to a American news report published Tuesday.
The bill passed the Senate last month and was submitted to the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Tom Oliverson, a Republican member of the House representing Cypress, introduced the bill and thanked those at the Capitol for supporting it, wearing red T-shirts with the slogan “Save Texas Kids.”
Oliverson tweeted: “Thank you so much for coming today. Your presence in the gallery reinforces our resolve to make this happen today!’
Texas Values president Johnathan Saenz, who led support for the bill, said WFAA that there should be more mental health care for children, rather than medical interventions.
“If your kids are going through a gender reassignment, it harms them,” Saenz said.
“Let’s focus on the heart instead of thinking that removing body parts will somehow make their minds feel better.”
“Children are incapable of making these decisions and even if the parents support it, it’s not healthy for them.”
Tom Oliverson, a Republican member of the House representing Cypress, introduced the bill
Ricardo Martinez, head of the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Texas, said the government should not interfere with health care.
“This sets the standard that the government can interfere in your life if they don’t like how you’re running it — and that should scare everyone off,” he said.
Martinez said the bill is one of 140 aimed at LGBTQ Texans, including criminalizing drag shows and limiting discussion of LGBTQ topics in classrooms.
A study by the Williams Institute at UCLA estimated that there are 92,900 transgender people in Texas and 29,800 between the ages of 13 and 17.
“Stigma leads to discrimination,” Martinez said.
“Discrimination leads to violence against our community and that’s what we see happening.”