Dear Governor Abbott,
Please reconsider the state’s action in filing suit against President Obama and strong-handedly denying transgender rights. I have a transgender teenage son and this is deeply concerning. I fight for and stand up for him and the 80 other kids in our trans kids group in DFW along with all the wonderful transgender adults I have become friends with. I implore you to act responsibly and consider that these are basic rights we want everyone to have…to use a bathroom based on gender identity and to feel like a whole person. This is life affirming and can be life-saving. No trans person has ever been found to be the perpetrator in any of these so called bathroom assaults everyone is mentioning on social media and the news. True criminals are causing the issues…and laws are already in place for these criminals and they are not working. You need to focus the time, money and action on the real issues and not segregating another minority. I thought Texas was once called Tejas (the Friendly State) for a reason. These days there is more hate than friendliness, and as a NATIVE TEXAN, I am ashamed to even say that!
I would hope that Dan Patrick learns some valuable empathy and would choose his words more wisely when speaking about or to marginalized groups of people. Your state offices have a chance to be a valuable voice for many hurting people. Please help the many people in Texas and the rest if the world, and prove that we are a great state by showing we are open, friendly and accepting of all humans.
Melissa Ballard
www.DFWTKF.com
DFW Trans Kids & Families
