Law Would Make Being Transgender a Felony, Punishable by Prison
State Rep. Tom Oliverson, a Texas Republican legislator who represents a district in Houston, introduced a bill that would make being transgender a felony in the state, marking one of the most extreme pieces of anti-trans legislation proposed in the U.S. The bill would create a new criminal offense called “gender identity fraud.” Under the proposed legislation, individuals found guilty could face up to two years in state prison and a $10,000 fine.
Since its introduction on March 5, the bill has not gained any official support or co-sponsors within the Texas Legislature. Oliverson has yet to publicly comment on the proposal, and he did not respond to requests for comment.
“This fits right along with the agenda that we’ve been seeing pushed for the past several sessions, specifically around policing of people’s gender and how they’re able to identify themselves,” Callie Butcher, founder of an LGBTQ law firm in Texas, told Chron, a sister publication of the Houston Chronicle.
While experts say the bill has little chance of passing without additional support, its introduction is part of a growing trend of increasingly restrictive legislation targeting transgender individuals.
Oliverson’s bill is not the only proposal aiming to curtail transgender rights in Texas. Last month, Republican state Rep. Brent Money filed a bill that would outlaw transition-related healthcare—including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender-affirming surgeries—not just for minors but for all Texans, regardless of age.
Money’s bill is nearly identical to the controversial 2023 Texas law banning such treatments for minors. The only change in the new proposal is the replacement of the word “child” with “person,” effectively banning transition-related healthcare for adults as well. The bill would also strip public funding from any medical institution providing gender-affirming care.
The broader medical community has repeatedly opposed legislative efforts to ban transition-related healthcare. Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychological Association, support gender-affirming care for both minors and adults, citing decades of research demonstrating its benefits for mental health and well-being.
