More than 100 students and local supporters from across Texas rallied today, April 25, against hate and spoke out to protect their LGBTQ communities. Add your voice to the movement for full equality here.

Student leaders from five cities around the Lone Star state joined members of the community for an afternoon of speeches, marching, and silent protests against the 25 harmful anti-LGBTQ bills currently being proposed in the Texas state legislature.

University of Austin

The Students Against Hate rallies united Texan LGBTQ students and their allies to increase local and national awareness of proposed legislation threatening harm to LGBTQ people in Texas, stand together to end hate, and stop oppressive legislation.

We’ve teamed up with @TFN @HRC @EqualityTexas @ACLUTx & @TransTexas to protect LGBTQ Texans. Add your name to help! t.co/v2Mjn5PWil

— GLAAD (@glaad) April 24, 2017

Participating universities included University of Texas at Austin, University of Houston, University of Texas San Antonio, University of Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, Rice University, and Texas State University.

 
University of Houston

Becca, a graduate student at the University of Houston rally said, “These attempts to push certain groups out of public life would place gender-expansive groups at risk for further harassment and abuse. It would place trans women of color at even higher risk for violence and murder, when we already know those rates are incredibly high.”

Becca went on to call their peers to action by saying, “If you believe in compassion, dignity, integrity, hope, justice, and the beauty of diversity that makes UH feel like home, please make a call to your state senators and representatives, and ask them to oppose unjust legislation targeting and bringing harm to our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex friends.”

University of Houston

University of Texas, San Antonio

By rallying together, these students showed their community, state government, and the nation that the LGBTQ community, including transgender youth, deserves to be respected, protected, and safe.

The Students Against Hate rallies are a part of a larger campaign with GLAAD, the Texas Freedom Network, Equality Texas, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), ACLU of Texas, and the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) to accelerate acceptance and equality for LGBTQ Texans.

University of Texas, San Antonio

Sign your name here to support these students and stand against Texas’ anti-LGBTQ bills.