By: Andrew Shaughnessy
@AndrewShag

Certain States are finding all sorts of ways to undermine LGBT progress this session.  Of those LGBT issues, remains one close to my heart — basic protections for the LGBT community.

In my last blog post, West Virginia became one of the only States who have fought back and killed legislation that repeals and denies localities the ability to protect their LGBT citizens. At the crux of the issue for them was State intrusion into what Delegates deemed to be an issue of local control.

Texas has become the most recent State to follow the bandwagon in what I consider growing hypocrisy. Having been introduced by Rep. Rick Miller, HB1556 would nullify some of the largest cities in the nation’s LGBT protections -altogether more than 7.5 million Texans are covered by such ordinances. Overwhelmingly the Texas legislature is conservative with a high amount of Tea Party representatives. The same Tea Party and conservatives that often times rail against Federal ‘intrusion’, are pushing State intrusion onto what is clearly an issue of local control.

Beside the apparent bigotry, the hypocrisy among these States and Representatives is what fires me up the most.

Municipalities, who have acted due to the lack of action from States, have passed these laws to protect a vital part of their city – the LGBT community. They have barred witness to our trials, and have heard our stories. From being discriminated in the workplace to being denied housing because of who we love, these communities enacted protections because their community need them. They acted, because States wouldn’t. 

Discrimination exists for the LGBT community. It is plain and simple and very apparent by the desperate acts in some of our State legislatures. They have been called to restrict our freedom and protections, bringing even more hypocrisy to their cause.