Police Chiefs from San Antonio, Houston & Austin All Condemn Anti-Transgender Restroom Restrictions

Today, July 25, during a press conference outside of the Texas Capitol, three police chiefs from some of the largest cities in Texas – San Antonio, Houston, and Austin – spoke out fervently in opposition to any legislation in Texas that would restrict restroom access for transgender Texans.

The police chiefs directly countered oft-repeated myths about privacy and public safety, which are used as an excuse for forcing dramatic and dangerous anti-transgender legislation through legislative chambers.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said today that the anti-LGBTQ bathroom bill “may be great political theater, but it is bad on public safety.”

Safety in public restrooms is important for all Americans, obviously. The fear of sexual assault and violence against women and girls is an important issue — and it’s one that law enforcement officials take seriously. That’s why these police chiefs today reiterated the reality that it is already against the law for anyone to go into a bathroom to harm or harass someone, which helps to keep people safe, make arrests, and hold perpetrators accountable.

Protecting transgender people from discrimination in no way changes these laws – and the bathroom bill in Texas is in no way a solution to the problem of sexual assault. In fact, it will further endanger transgender people, who already face disproportionate rates of attack and harassment.

Check out more from the press conference today – thank you to these law enforcement officials for speaking out.

#SanAntonio Police Chief McManus tells #TXLege: Don’t do this. Listen to law enforcement who oppose #bathroombills. #YallMeansAll pic.twitter.com/jFmBaDNNJL

— Equality Texas (@EqualityTexas) July 25, 2017

Austin PD chief: I don’t see how the bathroom bill “increases public safety in any way,” instead could “jeopardize safety of many” #txlege

— Alexa Ura (@alexazura) July 25, 2017

#Houston Police Chief @ArtAcevedo says #SB3 won’t make anyone safer—it will “encourage discrimination & targeting” #TXLege #YallMeansAll pic.twitter.com/T29AsrZbdp

— Equality Texas (@EqualityTexas) July 25, 2017

UPDATED: Police rally against ‘bathroom bill’ as Texas Senate debates divisive legislation. https://t.co/EfJLupGBU9 #LGBT #txlege pic.twitter.com/HL0LVJu0wp

— Lauren McGaughy (@lmcgaughy) July 25, 2017

#Austin @chief_manley says there is NO evidence that passing a #bathroombill will make anyone safer. #TXLege #YallMeansAll pic.twitter.com/oSFwKMyGKo

— Equality Texas (@EqualityTexas) July 25, 2017