Transgender Texans refuse to be erased as Republicans try to make their existence illegal

As Texas Republican lawmakers consider one of the most extreme anti-transgender bills in the country, Joelle Espeut of The Normal Anomaly Initiative is urging community members to resist fear — and instead, lean into joy and hope.

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House Bill 3817, introduced earlier this month by Republican state Rep. Tom Oliverson and titled the “Gender Identity Fraud Act,” would make it a felony to identify as a gender different from one’s sex assigned at birth on any government or employment document. Violations could carry up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

“It’s frustrating and enraging,” Espeut told The Advocate in a recent interview. “This isn’t about safety or fraud. This is about erasing trans people from public life.”

The bill offers no exemptions for people who have legally changed their gender markers and would criminalize updating driver’s licenses, birth certificates, and employment records to reflect one’s gender identity.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, H.B. 3817 is just one of 527 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced so far in 2025. Texas alone is among the states with the highest number of proposed anti-LGBTQ+ laws this year.

Related: Texas Republican bill would make simply being transgender a felony

Espeut, who serves as advocacy director at The Normal Anomaly Initiative in Houston, said the proposed law echoes a broader national effort to marginalize transgender people. “We’ve been navigating hostile waters for years,” she said. “But the cruelty has intensified.”

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Despite the fear, Espeut emphasized the importance of choosing joy. “I draw inspiration from the younger Joelle, who needed to see someone like me,” she said. “It’s so much lighter to center joy and hope because that’s exactly what they’re trying to take away from us.”

The Normal Anomaly Initiative is a Houston-based nonprofit led by and for Black LGBTQ+ people.Courtesy The Normal Anomaly Initiative

The Normal Anomaly Initiative is a Houston-based nonprofit led by and for Black LGBTQ+ people. It started as a grassroots project in 2016 and became a nonprofit in 2018. The group focuses on community empowerment, advocacy, and storytelling—helping Black queer people overcome barriers and challenge stigma while building spaces for joy and connection. The organization has received national recognition, including a GLAAD Media Award and a feature on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has signed multiple executive orders restricting the recognition of transgender and nonbinary people, rolling back access to gender-affirming care, and banning inclusive federal documentation. One order declared that the federal government would recognize only binary biological sex, prompting the State Department to halt the issuance of passports with nonbinary “X” gender markers.

While legal challenges are mounting—including Orr v. Trump and Kingdom v. Trump, two major ACLU-backed cases—advocates like Espeut stress the need to protect community mental health amid legislative trauma.

“We are not backing down,” she said. “We’re creating spaces of joy because that’s how we survive. That’s how we thrive.”

The Normal Anomaly Initiative is preparing for its annual Black Queer Advancement Festival, a multi-day event celebrating Black LGBTQ+ communities through music, art, and resource-sharing. Courtesy The Normal Anomaly Initiative

The Normal Anomaly Initiative is preparing for its annual Black Queer Advancement Festival, a multi-day event celebrating Black LGBTQ+ communities through music, art, and resource-sharing. The theme this year is visibility. The festival kicks off in Houston on April 26 and culminates with a two-day music event on May 2–3.

“This bill is a distraction meant to divide us,” Espeut said. “But trans Texans are your coworkers, your neighbors, your family. We’re not going anywhere.”

She added: “Joy is resistance. And community is our refuge.”

Editors note: This story has been updated with the correct dates of the BQAF festival.