Texas lawmakers approve bill that strictly defines man, woman
A bill strictly defining genders as either male or female based on a person’s reproductive organs is set to become law in Texas. The state Senate passed the legislation, which now sits on Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.
The law will require transgender Texans to revert government documents, including driver’s licenses and other photo IDs, to the sex assigned at birth.
The legislation will also impose restrictions on transgender people entering single sex spaces, including girls’ locker rooms and restrooms in schools. A spokesperson for the Texas governor confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday, May 28, that Abbott intends to sign the legislation into law.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in January directed state agencies to recognize only two sexes — male and female. This mirrors an executive order by President Donald Trump that does the same.
“The state recognizes only two sexes — male and female,” Abbott’s spokesperson, Andrew Maheleris, said. “Gov. Abbott looks forward to reaffirming this universal truth and signing HB 229 into law.”
The legislation, authored by GOP state Rep. Ellen Troxclair, defines a “male or man” as a person “whose biological reproduction system is developed to fertilize the ova of a female.”
The bill describes sex as a person’s “biological sex, either male or female.” It also defines “mother” as a “parent of the female sex.”
What are supporters of the bill saying?
Riley Gaines, a well-known opponent of transgender athletes in sports, celebrated the bill. She said on X Wednesday, May 28, that the legislation is “common sense” and “simply defines and codifies sex-based terms.”
The director of government relations for Texas Values, a Christian nonprofit in Texas, said in a statement that the bill sends a message that “You don’t mess with Texas women.
“HB 229 makes sure that the reality and truth of the two sexes is clear in Texas law and never altered by school districts, local cities or bureaucrats ever again,” Texas Values said.
Rep. Troxclair said the legislation “defines what a woman is, recognizing biological reality,” in a post on X after the bill passed in the state House of Representatives. Troxclair added, “With the passage of House Bill 229, Texas is protecting, safety, privacy & rights of women & girls across our state.”
Texas Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton, the sponsor of the bill, said that the legislation protects women’s designated areas like bathrooms and prisons with respect to “biological reality.” He said that the bill does not carry criminal or civil punishments.
Following Abbott’s directive
Supporters noted the bill follows a directive by the Texas governor earlier this year, which said the state “recognizes only two sexes — male and female.” This directive mirrors an executive order by President Donald Trump that recognizes only the male and female sexes.
“All Texas agencies must ensure that agency rules, internal polices, employment practices, and other actions comply with the law and the biological reality that there are only two sexes — male and female,” Abbott wrote in a memo to state agencies in January.
What are opponents saying?
Opponents of the bill said that it fails to address the complexities of gender and personal realities of transgender and nonbinary people.
Before the legislation’s passage, during a debate on the floor of the Texas legislature, Democratic state Sen. Jose Menendez said, “If a law forces nonbinary Texans, who are real people, into categories that don’t reflect their lived experiences or identities … that would actually become discrimination in practice.”
Mendendez added, “That’s a concern that I have.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
