A new bill proposed in Texas could charge transgender people of the state with a felony if they commit what the legislation calls “gender identity fraud.”
According to the bill, “gender identity fraud” would be commuted if a person “knowingly makes a false or misleading verbal or written statement to a governmental entity or the person’s employer by identifying the person’s biological sex as the opposite of the biological sex assigned to the person at birth.”
House Bill 3817, titled the “Gender Identity Fraud Act,” would make it a felony if a person “knowingly makes a false or misleading verbal or written statement” about their sex to a government agency or employer.
Violators could face up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine. If passed and signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the law would take effect on September 1.
Despite its proposal, it does not yet have any cosponsors and is considered unlikely to pass.
However, the bill is only one of many efforts by conservatives since President Trump’s inauguration.
Last month, Texas state representative Brent Money proposed a bill banning health care providers from treating patients with puberty-suppressing medication, hormone therapy and surgeries with the purpose of affirming their gender identity.
Within his first days of taking office, Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
The order mandates that all federal agencies recognize only biological sex—not gender identity—on official documents.
A Jan. 27 executive order claims transgender people cannot serve in the military because their identity “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle.”
Various LGBTQ+ rights organizations have already condemned these bills, continuing to fight for equality and acceptance.
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