The Awful 88th
As the 88th session of the Texas Legislature opened in January, Texas Observer writers scanning the political horizon noted a faint glimmer of hope that, perhaps this time, lawmakers would locate...
View ArticleTexas Sets New Hate Crimes Record, DPS Data Show
Newly released data collected from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) show that hate crimes in Texas increased by 6.4 percent from 2021 to 2022, marking the sixth year in a row the state has...
View Article‘We’re Going to Need to Save Each Other’: ‘Drag Ban’ Will Be Fought in the...
In Texas, Dolly Parton can read books to children, but it could soon be illegal for a drag queen to dress up as the famous singer and philanthropist and do the same. “Drag can be appropriate for all...
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A Queer Teacher in Edgewood Picked a Fight He Couldn’t Win
A teacher at Learn4Life Edgewood of San Antonio—a public charter school in the Edgewood Independent School District (EISD)—Gonzales posted a picture of himself in his classroom in front of a...
View Article‘Heartbreaking’: Anti-Trans Healthcare Law Takes Effect in Texas
Editor’s Note: This piece discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or the Trevor Project at...
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‘Drag is so Healing’: Austin’s Queens Won’t Back Down
In an orange prison jumpsuit and chains, a tall, lean drag queen writhed to a cover of “War Pigs” by Brass Against, which sounds like someone swapped Black Sabbath’s lead singer for a woman and added...
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University of Houston’s LGBTQ+ Students Build New Community After Resource...
At the University of Houston, students and faculty alike are still reeling from the impacts of Senate Bill 17. The law, which was approved by the state Legislature earlier this year, effectively...
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Top 20 Stories From the Year We Nearly Went Under
As many of you know, this year, the Texas Observer nearly bit the dust but was saved by the incredible generosity of our readers. All year, we’ve worked hard to make good on your incredible show of...
View ArticleAnti-LGBTQ+ Laws in Texas May Violate Human Rights Treaties
A coalition of four nonprofit organizations is asking the United Nations to take action to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ Texans. A January 22 letter sent from Equality Texas, ACLU of Texas, GLAAD, and...
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‘The Queen vs. Texas’ Revisits the Battle over Lone Star Drag
When the drag queen known as Hermajestie the Hung reached her breaking point, she transformed into the Joker, becoming the scourge of patriarchy, homophobic lawmakers, and anti-transgender bigots...
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