89th Texas Legislature Is in Session - Currently Taking Positions on Key Bills - See Policy
CONTACT: Text 713-380-1607 or email communications@texaslibertyforum.org

Our Mission
To represent citizens of Texas who believe in the conservative values of limited government and personal responsibility, and in the freedom of conscience and full equality under constitutional law for all citizens, regardless of religious or other beliefs, walks of life, or demographic category, and that rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights take precedence over all other rights or benefits that may be conferred by any government.

This representation is to be pursued by the establishment of a policy center and a forum, both operating from a stated perspective of conservative, laissez-faire classical liberalism, addressing federal, state, and local laws, ordinances and policies affecting all constitutional and other legal rights enumerated under the constitutions of the United States of America and of the State of Texas, and other established laws.

Our initial focus is primarily the preservation and incorporation of First Amendment rights within the context of civil rights laws of non-discrimination of specific demographic groups, with a current focus on issues of free speech, freedom of association, Judeo-Christian ethics, religious liberty, and current issues associated under the label of ‘GLBT,’ ‘LGBT,’ or related acronyms. This mission may be expanded in the future to add other areas of concern, within the context and parameters of our overall mission.

In pursuing our mission, the Texas Conservative Liberty Forum is formally committed in its bylaws to establish and promote venues of public discourse with a tolerance of a broad range of views, including those critical of TCLF itself.

2025 Texas State Legislative Bills

Coming Soon - See 2023 Legislative Priority Bills Below
SB 14, HB 1686 - Prohibition of Certain 'Gender' Transition Procedures on Minors

SUPPORT


There are few issues of greater controversy than the growing concern of the application of highly consequential medical procedures on minors.  Ranging from the administration of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to major surgery, these procedures are performed for the purpose of anatomical alteration of the body so that it more closely corresponds with a minor’s self-declared identification with the opposite sex. The plain fact of the matter is that to date, there is no clear scientific understanding of the cause of gender dysphoria or transsexuality, nor the value of current drastic procedures as applied to minors – notwithstanding the claims made by Gender Ideology activists, and regardless of the media’s uncritical repetition of those claims.
 
Meanwhile, the scientific evidence is beginning to show three things: 1) the dramatic and alarming increase of minors self-diagnosing as needing these medical procedures; 2) the reality of irreversible and often damaging effects resulting from these procedures; and 3) the growing numbers of individuals reaching adulthood regretting their childhood decision to transition.
 
The question before the legislature is not one about discrimination.  It is about true informed consent and our obligation to protect children from the consequences of things they cannot understand or account for.  For that reason, the Texas Conservative Liberty Forum SUPPORTS the passage of Texas Senate Bill 14 and House Bill 1686.
 
For a more comprehensive detail of our reasoning, please see our

Recommendations (not dependent on support):

Remove/revise Section 2, Sec 161.702,

SUBCHAPTER X. GENDER TRANSITIONING AND GENDER REASSIGNMENT
  PROCEDURES AND TREATMENTS FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN

Possible replacement:
SUBCHAPTER X. GENDER OR SEX TRANSITIONING AND SEX-REASSIGNMENT
  PROCEDURES AND TREATMENTS FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN

Reason: “Gender” is word that only has a recent history (35 years) of
application to persons, with variable meanings, and has very little record in
statutes defining the term, as opposed to ‘sex,’ which is more clearly
defined in federal and state law.
SB 12 & HB 1266 - 'Drag Shows' Regulation

NO SUPPORT

Texas Conservative Liberty Forum is sympathetic to concerns regarding much-publicized events aimed at minors featuring cross-dressing performances that also included sexually inappropriate content for minors (crude and sexually suggestive or explicit language, sexually suggestive motions, and states of undress).  However, HB 1266 is likely to be overturned on First Amendment concerns, and is not enforceable on a practical level. As it stands, this bill would literally designate venues featuring a performance by Dame Edna, traditional stagings of Shakespearean plays, a showing of Mrs. Doubtfire, or some episodes of the Carol Burnet show, as “sexually oriented.”  
 
The actual sexually oriented content of a performance, regardless of whether cross-dressing is present, should be the focus of any bill aimed at sexually oriented content.
 
Similarly, Texas Conservative Liberty Forum does NOT support passage of Texas Senate Bill 12.  While this bill is more restrained, it still introduces a pointless element that could be used to harass businesses that feature any cross-dressing at all.  Again, this is likely violation of First Amendment rights.  Perversely, the above bills may appear to provide a defense for sexually oriented content inappropriately available to minors if it does not feature cross-dressing.  This cannot possibly be the intent of the authors of these bills.
 
The best defense of conservative values of freedom of speech and conscience is one based on principle and applicable to all.
 
We urge the bills’ authors to withdraw these bills as they stand today.
SB 17, HB 5127 - Prohibition of Required Ideological Oaths in Public Higher Education

SUPPORT

The Texas Conservative Liberty Forum supports passage of Texas Senate Bill 17 and House Bill 5127 which prohibit institutions of higher learning from requiring or giving preferential treatment to individuals based on their willingness to make ideological affirmations or statements in a number of areas, including, but not limited to, issues of 'diversity,' 'equity', and 'inclusion.'

The bedrock of our Constitutional freedoms is the First Amendment.  The state has no business in determining, let alone enforcing, what are the 'correct', or even just 'better' opinions in any areas subject to public discourse, and especially not in those of high public controversy.

The role of the state is to uphold and enforce the laws duly passed by the legislatures, and as upheld by the judiciary. The state may not use its powers of hiring, firing, or of conferring benefits, penalties, or access to government services or benefits, for the purpose coercing or pressuring citizens into activism, to adopt any particular ideology or philosophy, nor to even merely influence any citizens in what beliefs they privately hold or must publicly espouse.  Such power is the purview of authoritarian and totalitarian forms of government. To allow state agencies such power clearly violates the rights promised in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and even for most benign purposes opens a dangerous path towards ideological tyranny.

Current law broadly prohibits unfair discrimination in a wide variety of areas and for many protected classes.  New non-discrimination standards employed by the state should be debated openly, and passed by those electorally accountable to the public, and not by hidden figures no one knows, and for whom no one voted.

Remove/revise Section 51.603 (a) (1) (B) (iii) – views on, experience with, or past or  
      planned contributions to efforts involving  diversity  , equity, and        inclusion, marginalized groups, antiracism, social justice,        intersectionality, or related concepts

Possible replacement:  
views on, experience with, or past or  
      planned contributions to any efforts involving matter of personal conscience, opinion, ideology, or advocacy not required or prohibited by law.  
       
 
Remove/revise Section 51.9317  
  DIVERSITY  , EQUITY, AND INCLUSION OFFICES AND        EMPLOYEES PROHIBITED.:

Possible replacement:  
 OPINION OR POLICY ADVOCACY OFFICES AND        EMPLOYEES PROHIBITED:
Same replacements for]:
51.9317 (a) (2)
51.9317 (b)  
 
Reason: The term of DEI may change, and may have different manifestations to the general public.  The law should not target any specific ideology (may ironically constitute a violation of First Amendment by only targeting certain views).  Law should outlaw the defined behavior.
HB 900/HB 1655 - Standardization of Student Access to Materials With Sexual Content.

SUPPORT

The Texas Conservative Liberty Forum supports House Bills 900 ansd 1655 which tandardize student access to sexually-explicit or sensitive materials at public schools. The determination of what content is available to student minors
at schools is currently already determined by school staff, and the law already defines what content is illegal to disseminate to minors by individuals. In light of recent controversies over questionable materials provided to students, a
transparent and publicly accountable process is in order, and that is what these bills provide.
HB 3502 - Medical Coverage for 'Gender' De-Transition

SUPPORT

The Texas Conservative Liberty Forum supports passage of Texas House Bill 3502 which seeks to secure medical coverage for individuals who seek medical treatment to reverse or alleviate the effects of ‘gender’ (sex) transition procedures. For the growing number of individuals who are counseled into drastic and highly consequential procedures, whether as minors or as persons in vulnerable mental states, there is simply no possible reason that can be offered for leaving them stranded in a condition they now deeply regret.

HB 3502 should have bi-partisan support as it protects healthcare for a vulnerable population; it applies to the care for all, not just minors, leaving no one out.
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