Hank Gilbert: Texas candidate for governor releases transgender-inclusive position statement

November 5, 11:03 PMTransgender & Transsexual Issues ExaminerMatt Kailey

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Hank Gilbert
Hank Gilbert Press Kit

Texas gubernatorial candidate Hank Gilbert released his position statement on LGBT issues on November 4, noting specific protections for transgender people.

In fact, Gilbert’s support of transgender rights is almost overwhelming to someone (like me) who is not used to seeing such support directly targeting our community. For transgender people, Gilbert favors:

• An employment non-discrimination act that specifies gender identity and expression.
• Legislation prohibiting insurance companies from considering a history of transition treatments as a reason to deny coverage.
• Housing and public accommodations legislation that includes protections for gender identity and expression.
• An end to discriminatory hiring and firing practices in public schools based on gender identity or expression.
• Tough anti-bullying statutes that include gender identity and expression.
• Expanding Texas’ James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act to include gender identity and expression.
• Making it easier for transgender individuals to change the gender marker on birth certificates and state ID cards by not requiring proof of surgical interventions for such changes.

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual people are, of course, included in all of Gilbert’s proposed protections, and he also favors repealing the Texas Defense of Marriage Act and allowing civil unions with privileges and protections equal to legal marriage; establishing the authority of domestic partners in medial decision making; changing Texas adoption laws to allow same-sex couples to have both names on an issued birth certificate; repealing the Texas “Homosexual Conduct Law” (which has already been declared unconstitutional); and equalizing consent laws for straight and gay adolescents.

Democrat Gilbert is a married Texas rancher with two sons. He will be facing a tough race in 2010, made even tougher, I would guess, by his strong, fair, and inclusive stance on LGBT issues. The Texas gubernatorial primaries will take place on March 2, 2010. It will be interesting to see how Gilbert fares.

To be honest, my mouth is still hanging open in surprise. I’ve never seen anything like this, and I never expected to see it from someone running for George W. Bush’s former office. The man has guts and he has personal convictions that obviously extend far beyond the game of politics. I wish I lived in Texas — just long enough to vote for him.