Texas Governor Greg Abbott has suggested that public school teachers should be barred from wearing clothes that don’t conform to traditional gender norms. The proposal has raised concerns that the GOP-controlled Legislature could pursue restrictions on transgender teachers and their attire.
Abbott made the remarks while addressing the Young Conservatives of Texas convention in Dallas. He cited the example of a male teacher in North Texas who wore a pink dress for his school’s spirit day earlier this year. Abbott described the teacher’s actions as an attempt to normalize behavior that he believes is inappropriate.
The teacher, Rachmad Tjachyadi, resigned last month after a conservative social media account posted a video of him wearing the dress. Though Lewisville ISD officials found no violation of district policies, Tjachyadi said he decided to step down due to the backlash he faced.
Abbott did not specify how he would like to regulate teachers’ attire, but his comments have received support from current and incoming lawmakers. State Representative Briscoe Cain wrote that “perverts should not be teachers,” while Republican Brent Money agreed with Abbott’s sentiment.
Abbott’s office has declined to comment. The governor was among those who circulated the video of Tjachyadi when it was posted in February. He used it to advocate for a school voucher program that would allow parents to use taxpayer dollars for private school tuition.
If a law banning transgender teachers or restricting their attire is passed, it is likely to face legal challenges. Similar laws targeting transgender Texans have faced such challenges in the past. An LGBTQ+ advocacy group is currently suing to prevent Attorney General Ken Paxton from obtaining records of transgender minors accessing transition-related care. Additionally, two students at West Texas A&M University are suing over the school president’s cancellation of an on-campus drag show, claiming a violation of their First Amendment rights.
