Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, made yet another attack on the GLBT community Thursday with his attempt to revive an amendment that would significantly reduce support for gender and sexuality centers at universities in Texas.
If passed, the amendment to SB 1, the Senate budget bill, would have prohibited colleges and universities from using state funds to support gender and sexuality centers. It would have also banned colleges from using university facilities for the centers.
After nearly 45 minutes of debate and after Democrats raised a point of order that would have affected the entire budget bill, Christian withdrew his amendment, according to The Texas Tribune.
During the regular legislative session, Christian proposed an amendment that would have required universities with gender and sexuality centers to spend at least as much in appropriated funds on a family and traditional values center that promotes heterosexual behavior.
The proposal was added to SB 1, but the Senate removed it when reviewing the bill. As a result, it appears Christian decided to take a harsher, more direct approach last week with the amendment to completely defund gender and sexuality centers.
If Christian’s proposal had passed, GLBT communities and their allies would have lost a tremendous amount of support and resources.
Nevertheless, without realizing the irony, Christian told the House, “I pray for the day that we actually can sit and discuss things and bring those walls of prejudice down.”
House members did just that when they rejected Christian’s discriminatory amendment last week.