As of 2021, roughly 122,000 (less than 0.5%) Texans identify as transgender, according to EveryTexan.org. Since the 2017 bathroom bill, however, many transgender advocates in Texas have noted the growing legislation targeting transgender individuals.

In the 2024 Texas GOP Convention, one of the primary points on the platform was “making sure that a person is not allowed to change their ‘sex’ on their driver’s license,” according to Texas Values.

In this legislative session, HB 3817, a bill that would seek to criminalize “gender identity fraud,” has gotten a lot of press and attention. Authored by Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress), the bill has recently acquired five Republican co-sponsors.

The bill prompted a change.org petition started by Will Benton, who wrote, “They’re testing out the waters, let’s show them these waters are full of piranhas.”

Brent Money (R-Greenville), a co-sponsor, posted on X about his own bill proposing transgender surgery bans. 

“This legislation isn’t about judgment; it’s about accountability,” he posted. “It targets the doctors and medical profiteers who exploit vulnerable people, pushing costly surgeries and lifetime pharmaceuticals for financial gain rather than offering genuine care. We must protect those afflicted by dysphoria from being permanently disfigured by a system that prioritizes profit over humanity.”