Celebrities denounced Texas’s potential transgender bathroom bill in an open letter Tuesday.
Stars like Jimmy Kimmel, Jennifer Lawrence and Lady Gaga asked leaders in the Texas government to strike down the bill, claiming the legislation would harm transgender children, reports My Statesman.
“Transgender and gender-nonconforming young people are already subjected to bullying and harassment. Can you imagine the messages these bills send to children- the message of ‘that child is unwelcome. that child is dangerous?'” the letter admonished Texas leaders.
Senate Bill 6 and House Bill 1362, the legislation in question, would prevent transgenders from using the bathroom according to their gender identity in public schools and government property. Schools would be allowed to provide alternate accommodations for transgenders, however.
Schools and government buildings could face a $1,000 to $10,500 penalty if they don’t enforce the bathroom law, according to Senate Bill 6.
The signers claimed the bills “criminalize” being transgender and deny transgenders their “basic human dignity.”
“It is up to you whether these bills will become law, and we are watching. It is up to us to commit to doing everything within our power to make sure all of our fans,crews, and fellow artists feel safe and welcome, wherever we go,” the letter stated.
Ariana Grande, Emma Stone, Whoopi Goldberg, Julianne Moore, Lena Dunham were also among those who endorsed the letter.
Celebrities also came out to boycott North Carolina after it released its own transgender bathroom bill, House Bill 2. Much like Texas’ proposed legislation, HB2 dictated that people must use the bathroom according to their biological sex.
Bruce Springsteen canceled one of his concerts there, claiming it was a “human rights” issue. Michael Moore claimed that he told his distributor not to show his latest film in any theater in North Carolina.
The boycott hasn’t worked, as House Bill 2 is still law in North Carolina.
Send tips to amber@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.