Texas’ Plan to Reverse Gender Marker Changes on IDs: A Dangerous Step Backwards

Trans Texans face forced legal erasure. Here’s how you can help stop it.

Texas is once again making headlines—and once again, it’s for all the wrong reasons. The latest in a relentless string of anti-trans proposals would force trans individuals who have legally updated their gender markers on IDs to revert to their assigned-at-birth designations¹. If passed, this law would upend the lives of countless trans Texans, making even routine activities—applying for jobs, signing leases, or simply going about their daily business—a minefield of potential discrimination, harassment, and violence.

This bill is more than a bureaucratic hassle. It’s an attempt to invalidate trans identities, stripping away the legal recognition that many have fought hard to achieve. And for trans people, whose very existence often challenges societal norms, these IDs are not just pieces of paper; they are shields against a world that too often denies their right to be themselves. Undoing gender marker changes isn’t just cruel—it’s erasure.

Why This Matters

Let’s be clear: forcing trans people to revert to IDs that do not reflect their gender is state-sanctioned discrimination. These documents are essential to accessing many aspects of public life. From healthcare to employment, from education to housing, having accurate identification helps protect trans people from unnecessary—and dangerous—exposure to bias and violence. Requiring a trans woman, for example, to use an ID that lists her as male instantly outs her in situations where her safety could be jeopardized.

This proposal echoes a broader national trend, as lawmakers in multiple states seek to undermine the civil rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. Nearly 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across the country in 2024 alone​(

LGBTQ Nation), many of them targeting trans people specifically. The Texas bill represents a chilling escalation: it doesn’t just stop trans people from accessing future legal changes; it actively rolls back progress they’ve already achieved.

This isn’t just an attack on trans rights. It’s a direct assault on personal freedom and autonomy—the ability to live as one’s authentic self. It also sets a dangerous precedent for other states to follow, pushing a regressive agenda that seeks to legally deny the existence of trans people.

What Can You Do?

It’s natural and valid to feel anger and outrage at this proposal, but outrage isn’t enough. We need to act. Here’s how you can make a real difference right now:

1. Contact Your Legislators
   Lawmakers respond to public pressure, especially when it’s organized and persistent. Whether you live in Texas or not, your voice matters. Email or call Texas legislators to let them know that this kind of rollback is unacceptable and that the public is watching. Civil rights shouldn’t be up for debate.
   • Find your representative here.
2. Support Trans Rights Organizations
   Groups like the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) and Equality Texas are on the front lines, fighting this kind of discriminatory legislation. These organizations need financial support to continue their advocacy, provide legal defense, and raise public awareness.
   • Support Equality Texas here.
   • Support TENT here.
3. Attend Public Hearings or Protests
   Public hearings on this proposal will take place, and showing up matters. Whether you live in Texas or can travel, your physical presence at these hearings sends a powerful message to lawmakers that people are paying attention—and that they will be held accountable. Protests and rallies are also planned, and being there adds to the groundswell of opposition.

The Bigger Picture

The fight for trans rights is a fight for basic human dignity. This bill is part of a broader attempt to strip away the rights and protections that have been hard-won by the LGBTQ+ community over the past decades. If Texas succeeds, it opens the door for similar policies in other states, where anti-trans sentiment is on the rise. It’s not just about IDs—it’s about health care, housing, education, and the right to live freely as who you are.

But there’s a history of resilience and resistance in the LGBTQ+ community. Across the country, activists are working tirelessly to ensure that these regressive policies don’t succeed. There have been victories in courtrooms and state legislatures that show this fight can—and will—be won. But it will require all of us to step up, to be vigilant, and to take action.

Why Now?

This is a critical moment. Nearly 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been filed across the country this year​², and the rights of trans people are in the crosshairs like never before. The Texas proposal, if passed, will cause immediate harm to trans people living there, but the ripple effect could be felt nationwide. This is about more than Texas—it’s about who we are as a society. Do we stand up for the most vulnerable, or do we let fear and hate dictate policy?

If you care about justice, equality, and human dignity, now is the time to act. This fight isn’t just for trans Texans—it’s for all of us.

We Can Win This

The power to stop this legislation is in our hands. It requires all of us to be informed, to care, and to take direct action. The trans community has faced—and overcome—significant challenges before, but this one is different. It’s not just about stopping future harm; it’s about protecting the legal progress that has already been made.

This isn’t just a call to action—it’s a call for solidarity. The stakes couldn’t be higher, but if we get up and mobilize, we can ensure that trans rights remain human rights.

1. https://dallasvoice.com/dps-asks-paxton-for-permission-to-unchange-gender-marker-changes-on-ids-dls/ ↩︎
2. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/01/almost-300-anti-lgbtq-bills-have-already-been-filed-across-the-country-in-2024/ ↩︎