The State of Texas has just been busted for deleting the existence of LGBTQ people from its official website.
The New York Times reports that the state scrubbed a resources page for LGBTQ youth from its site after one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Republican primary challengers called it “offensive” and not in line with good ol’ fashioned “Texas values.”
Candidate Don Huffines voiced his outrage over the page in a homophobic video posted to Twitter on August 31.
“They are promoting transgender sexual policies to Texas youth!” he raged. “I mean, really?! This is Texas! These are not Texas values. These are not Republican Party values. But these are obviously Greg Abbott’s values.”
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Hours after Huffines posted the video, the page vanished.
It’s offensive to see @GregAbbott_TX use our tax dollars to advocate for transgender ideology. This must end. #txlege pic.twitter.com/gQiAEJZ8YR
— Don Huffines (@DonHuffines) August 31, 2021
To add insult to injury, the page, which provided information for LGBTQ youth who were feeling depressed, bullied, or suicidal, was removed at the start of Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month.
Patrick Crimmins, spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, claims it was taken down “as part of a review,” but leaked internal emails suggest officials took it down in response to Huffines’s comments.
“FYI. This is starting to blow up on Twitter,” department official, Marissa Gonzales, wrote shortly after the homophobic video went live.
A follow up email sent from Crimmins reads, “Please note we may need to take that page down, or somehow revise content.” One day later, an email was sent to the webmaster explaining that “the Texas Youth Connection (TYC) website has been temporarily disabled for a comprehensive review of its content.”
“This is being done to ensure that its information, resources and referrals are current,” it claimed.
Six weeks later, the “comprehensive review” still is not complete and Gov. Abbott’s office is refusing to comment on the matter.
In a statement, Ricardo Martinez, chief executive of Equality Texas, blasted the state for removing the page.
“State agencies know that LGBTQ+ kids are overrepresented in foster care and they know they face truly staggering discrimination and abuse,” Martinez said. “The state is responsible for these kids’ lives, yet it actively took away a resource for them when they are in crisis.”
As for Huffines, he appears to have moved on from attacking LGBTQ youth and is now on a crusade against mask mandates as the state continues to report some of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the nation.
The role of government is always to defend the God-given liberties of its citizens.
Vaccine mandates are an attack on that liberty whether they come from the government or a private business. They must be stopped.
— Don Huffines (@DonHuffines) October 15, 2021
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
customartist
Republican candidates routinely find the easiest-to-disparage minority groups to use as their enemy du jour. They do this because they HAVE NO other viable or legitimate issues with which to promote the general welfare of citizens.
Creamsicle
That’s their whole grift. Republicans get into office promising Small Government, so they can say they’re doing the best job by providing nothing of value to citizens. Then to stay in office all they need to do is heckle anyone who does actually present actionable plans to improve the lives of citizens.
Jim
Republicans have no desire to promote the general welfare. They are all; me, me, me.
They are for small government until they want something. Usually a way to pick their fellow citizens pocket.
GayEGO
A lot of dumbo GOP politicians in Texas!
LumpyPillows
Glad I no longer live in Texas. Now, if we can only figure out how to stop middle class Latinos from believing they are white Republicans.
GrizzleyMichael
I don’t want to visit Texas when they say you can have a gun without a background check, or anything to keep you from getting a gun.
barryaksarben
WHAT VALUES? The ones Donald Trump displays every day. HATE, anger, lust, greed, envy, gluttony, sloth. Yeah THOSE are the values of the GOP
Jer
A Texas Republican who fails to show adequate hatred to any and all who are “different” will be subjected to abuse. Amazing that any would even venture forth.
jayceecook
That “Welcome To Texas” sign sure needs a lot of asterisks.
Fname Optional Lname
This!
Prax07
Can’t we just divorce Texas from the rest of the country already? Put a wall around it, ship all the retrumplicans, conservatives, and evangelicals there then just nuke it?
Mister P
LOL. That’s harsh. There are a lot of normal people here.
missvamp
There’s also alot of LGBT democrats here & we’re all voting them out! We’re sick of this sh7t!!
jayceecook
When your state is one of the two notoriously effed up states in the union you have to wonder how small that group is.
Thad
I’m so glad to learn that Don Huffines is pro-choice. The God-given liberty for a woman to control her own body is worth defending.
wikidBSTN
Good ol’ Texan values. LOL Lynching?? Give me a break.
Jim
What is sad is the Elon Musk gave them more ammunition for their bigoted ways by moving his HQ to Austin.
Evil triumphs when good men do nothing
But we all know that Elon is NOT a good man.
Jist a younger version of Trump.
Kangol2
It’s unfair to claim “Texas” has launched a campaign to delete LGBTQ people when the truth is, as usual, it’s Republican politicians, staff and bureaucrats who removed the page and refuse to repost it, in response to yet another Republican hatemonger who complained about it existing in the first place. This kind of lazy reporting does no one any favors; does anyone think that a Democratic governor, staffers, legislators, or bureaucrats, even in Texas, would have done this, particularly given the concurrence with Suicide Prevention Month?
lacciani
What happened to Texas wanting to succeed from the USA. I’m all for it.I!
jdr11201
Texas, 1974
I left that backwards state along time ago. They however have the biggest gay population in the entire nation …?
Go. figure ?
jayceecook
They don’t. California does. Texas is #2. Still, for having the second highest number of LGBTQ people it’s kind of off putting the state is so red.
whateverokok
Backwards? The state of Texas is anything but backwards.
GreekKeys
We have to stop the “erasing”, “deleting the existence”, “denying the existence” typical over-the-top, hysterical hyperbole that’s infected the gay community. Yes, what they’re doing is bad but the very fact they did it is an acknowledgement of the existence of gay people. Everyone by now knows gay people exist. Some stupid right wing website doesn’t change that. Don’t be The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
frank fuhrman
Texas GOP = KKK minus the hoods.
charlieeod74
What is happening in Texas will soon be common place in other red states. The MAGAT’s won’t be happy until they have subjugated anyone different than them. They want the FSA, Fascist States of Amerika
whateverokok
YES! THIS! Republicans are evil and they must be stopped. Only our mighty savior the DEMOCRATS can put an end to these no good soul sucking syncopaths. OH PLEASE DEMOCRATS!!! HELP US!!!!