“Everything is bigger in Texas”—words that were etched into my childhood. And even as I moved across the country, I carried those words with me with a small sense of pride. But, those words took on new meaning as I embraced a life of activism and advocacy.
No longer conjuring up images of Big Tex, I now reflect on the bigger barriers set by our state to cast a ballot, the bigger hurdles imposed on women and minority communities in order to obtain health care, and the bigger obstacles imposed on all of us for simply being who we are.
In 2023, the Texas State Legislature led the country in transphobic legislation; 52 bills so far to be exact. From prohibiting lifesaving gender-affirming care for trans youth to banning transgender athletes from competing as part of teams that align with their gender identity—everything might be bigger in Texas, but it seems that also applies to hate and bigotry.
