BEAUMONT, Texas — One Beaumont arts theater is sending a message to the dozens of anti-LGBTQ bills.
Members of the Beaumont Community Players plan to speak up to fight what they call anti-LGBTQ legislation.
For Donny Avery, anti-LGBTQ bills feel personal.
“I identify as a gay man. As a child, I always knew that there was something a little different about me,” Avery said.
Most of these bills target transgender children, something that worries LBTQ advocate Jacqueline Hays.
“My child has identified as gender-fluid since they were 13. And so, I'm glad that I'm out of the realm of being looked at as a parent or investigated,” Hays said.
Gov. Greg Abbott recently called on citizens to report parents allowing their children to undergo gender-affirming therapy.
“That to me is just 100% Terrible. This is not child abuse. This is human life. This is you know this is who we are,” Hays said.
Around the country, the number of anti-LGBTQ bills has skyrocketed. From 41 in 2018 to 238 so far this year, Equality Texas, says 30 plus anti-LGBTQ bills were filed in the last session in the Texas House and Senate. All of them failed.
“What is it that is so detrimental to one person's way of life that you feel that you need to chime in and make some provision to impact them? We should be striving to be more inclusive, not less inclusive,” John Manfredi said.
Manfredi is the executive director of Beaumont Community Players. In light of recent actions taken regarding the LGBTQ+ community, Manfredi felt the need to send a message.
“We are we strive to be the biggest T tent in Texas,” Manfredi said. “And by that what I mean is that everybody is welcome here regardless of your gender identity, regardless of your sexual orientation, regardless of your religion, regardless of your race. Everybody is welcome here.”
A reminder is seen on Laurel Ave on the Beaumont Community Players' board.
“It's not every day that your boss is going to come into your office and say, 'Listen, I'm against this, I'm with you. You know, please, let's do something,'”Manifred said. “Before you can even reach out to BCP, you know one of your partners in the community. They're already you know, saying, Hey, we're here, just like we've always been."
“The louder that they get the louder I'm going to get about it, period. You know, there's just bad things happen when good people don't stand up,” Manfredi said.
Avery said there are ways to help Texas become inclusive.
It's by being open-minded and having conversations with the LGBTQ+ community and taking a stand for human rights.