EDGE Dallas

Although the Texas legislature will not be in session for another full year, Equality Texas continues to gear up for a busy 2010.

Political director Randall Terrell said his organization will work to inform the public and educate legislators on a number of issues he anticipates will factor into this year’s elections--and hopefully the 2011 legislative session. And the passage of an anti-bullying and harassment bill is at the top of this agenda.

Lawmakers scheduled it for a floor debate during the last session, but it never came up for discussion because of a backlog of other measures were in front of it. Terrell said he had anticipated the bill would have received up to 90 votes on the House floor and it would have pass.

"The whole public perception of LGBT equality in Texas is evolving much more quickly than most people appreciate," Terrell said. "For the next session, people are lining up to sponsor this bill already."

Determined not to take that good will for granted, Equality Texas has formed the Texas Safe Schools Coalition. Attendees at meetings so far include members of the Texas Association of School Administrators and the Texas Association of School Boards. The hope is that by enlisting the support of these mainstream organizations, legislators will be further convinced of the bill’s widespread need and appeal.

In this off year, Equality Texas will also push for the implementation of the James Burke Jr. Hate Crimes Act. Since its passage in 2001, more than 1,800 hate crimes have been reported; but there have been less than 10 prosecutions.

"There has been a lack of political support and awareness from then Texas Attorney General’s Office," Terrell said. "Local police are reporting the crimes, but local prosecutors are prosecution them as regular crimes and not requesting additional penalty enhancements."

During the last legislative session, a bill to ensure Texans could not be fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity received a hearing. But it failed to get out of committee. Activists hope the bill will come up for a vote next year.

"Eighty percent of Texans think it’s wrong to fire people because they’re LGBT," Terrell said.

Terrell remains optimistic about the bill’s prospects, but he conceded it may be a challenge to get it out of committee.

"Two sessions ago, there was an all out war for control of the Texas House among moderate and conservative Republicans," he noted as he discussed previous efforts. "It’s not uncommon to get a hearing when you know a bill won’t pass out. In the 2009 session, there was a much closer balance, but in 2011 the committee members and the votes may change."

Although he describes Texas as a purple state that it on the verge of being a pro-equality state, Terrell noted "LGBT equality has not been at the forefront of Texas politics" since voters amended the state Constitution to ban marriage for same-sex couples in 2005. In spite of this lack of attention, Terrell remains hopeful voters will elect more pro-LGBT legislators this year.