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Advocates say Texas Senate Bill 3 could negatively impact transgender children

2 years 5 months 4 weeks ago Monday, September 27 2021 Sep 27, 2021 September 27, 2021 12:17 PM September 27, 2021 in News - Local

Advocates say Senate Bill 3, legislation targeting transgender student athletes in Texas, could have a negative impact, whether it passes the Texas House or not.

Senate Bill 3 would make it so children play on the teams that matches the gender they were assigned at birth.

Madeline Croll, a transgender woman, says bills like SB3 have repeatedly left her feeling traumatized this year. She also says she worries for transgender children.

“This is exclusionary and this is telling them that they are worth less than other Texans,” Croll said.

READ ALSO: Valley advocates speak out against Texas Senate Bill 29  

“We've seen more reports of bullying, harassment, or physical abuse or assault, in our community over the course of the last two months than in the entire year,” said Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas.

Martinez says he thinks it's a result of bills like SB3 even being discussed.

“Because we are debating the humanity of transgender people, when you debate people's humanity, and you dehumanize people, which is happening here, it becomes easier to target them,” Martinez said.

Earlier this year, the author of the bill, Republican Sen. Charles Perry of Lubbock, said on Facebook that this bill is about protecting women.

"Female athletes deserve their place in the record books for all of their hard work and dedication," Perry said on Facebook. 

But Croll says there's no evidence this has been an issue.

"We've seen transgender athletes in sports since the 1960s, and where's this whole slew of transgender champions who have an unfair advantage?" Croll said. 

This is the fourth time this year this bill, or a similar bill, has passed in the Senate. In each of the three previous times, it's failed to pass in the House.

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