Equality Texas pens letter to United Nations over LGBTQ+ 'human rights crisis'

The letter alleges violations to LGBTQ+ Texans on the grounds of their privacy, health, freedom of expression and education, Equality Texas leadership said.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Political advocacy organization Equality Texas announced Monday it had submitted a joint allegation letter to the United Nations surrounding the "human rights crisis" impacting LGBTQ+ Texans. Equality Texas jointly filed the letter alongside the Human Rights Campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the nonprofit LGBTQ+ advocacy organization GLAAD.

The letter alleges violations to LGBTQ+ Texans on the grounds of their privacy, health, freedom of expression and education, Equality Texas leadership said on social media Monday. The organization addressed the letter to 17 independent experts, working groups and special rapporteurs, the social media post added.

Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas, told KXAN Monday the letter had been in development for months. He said the decision to file the letter came after extensive work advocating at the Texas Legislature, filing litigation and awaiting federal intervention.

"We explore all avenues when it comes to advocacy, and we are committed to doing that for our community," Martinez said. "And this is just yet another formal way for us to really ring the alarm on what is happening here in Texas."

In 2023, Equality Texas tracked a historic 141 bills filed in the Texas Legislature that pertained to the LGBTQ+ community, up from only 12 filed in 2015. In total, Martinez said seven bills from 2023 advanced and became law, which he said elevated the need to file this letter with the UN.

Those seven pieces of legislation included:

• Senate Bill 14: Banning health care for trans youth
• Senate Bill 17: Restricting public universities from operating diversity, equity and inclusion programs
• Senate Bill 15: Prohibiting trans athletes from competing at the collegiate level
• Senate Bill 763: Permitting chaplains to offer counseling to school children
• Senate Bill 12: Outlawing public drag performances, which the legislation deemed as "sexually oriented"
• House Bill 900: Allowing schools to restrict LGBTQ+ books through definitions of "sexual explicit" content
• House Bill 2127: Implications to local non-discrimination ordinances

Beyond lawmaking at the Texas Capitol, Martinez pointed to the rise of LGBTQ+ policies within Texas school districts and at state agencies.

"When you take all of that together, I think for us, it's important to continue to take every single opportunity to educate folks on the realities of what's happening here in Texas," he said. "And we're happy to do so along with our coalition partners."

Now that the letter is filed, Equality Texas is awaiting a response from the U.N. If a response is received, Martinez said that will kickstart a formal process that involves the U.N. reaching out to the United States Department of State.

He added his hope is for the U.N. to take the allegations seriously and intervene.

"We hope that this will encourage the federal government to put more resources towards protecting LGBTQIA+ Texans and LGBTQIA+ people across the entire country, because this is not only happening here in Texas," he said.