Hey, fam, it's me, Amara.

Welcome to the TransLash podcast, a show where we tell trans stories to save trans lives.

The 2023 Texas legislative session finally came to an end in May after a brutal few months

for trans rights there with the passage of pivotal anti-trans laws.

Texas became the largest state to ban gender affirming care for minors with the passage of

SB 14 and SB 15, which would ban trans athletes from competing on teams that match their gender

identity, has passed the state legislature and is awaiting the governor's signature.

These two are just part of the over 50 anti-trans bills introduced in Texas this year, underscoring

the fact that the state is a laboratory for the

anti-trans hate machine. Given everything that's happened there, I thought it was time to hear

more about what's going on and what it means for people on the ground. So today, I'm talking with

two advocates who are courageously fighting back against this onslaught of attacks in their home state.

First, I'll speak with Texas organizer, Audrey Perez, about their hearing experience at the Texas State Capitol.

What I have always been trying to do is not to speak necessarily to the legislators in those moments,

but to speak to the people, the trans and the queer and the non-binary

people who are not in the room. Next, I'm joined by parent and advocate Rachel Gonzalez about her

efforts to make Texas a safer place for her trans child. I mean, my kids are awesome and I want them

to have the best life possible. And if I don't fight for it, they're going to have to do it themselves.

And a heads up here that there's a brief mention of suicide in my conversation with Rachel,

so please do what you need to to take care of yourself.

But first, let's start out, as always, with some trans joy.

Today for TransJoy, we're celebrating a group of organizers doing critical work at Organizacion Latina Trans in Texas.

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