Lone Star State politicians have been proposing laws that could give citizens monetary benefits, but people are finding issues with the behavior being encouraged for this compensation.
A recent bill proposed in the Texas House of Representatives is looking to shell out thousands of dollars to Texans who snitch on drag shows taking place in the presence of minors.
Representative Steve Toth introduced HB 4378, or "Liability For Drag Performance In Presence Of Minors," which proposes Texans who "prevail" in catching these shows can sue drag queens for "psychological, emotional, economic, and physical harm," receive help with attorney costs, and be "awarded" damages of $5,000, which people are referring to as a "bounty."
According to the bill's draft, a drag performance is being defined as "a performance in which a performer exhibits a gender that is different than the performer's gender recorded at birth using clothing, makeup, or other physical markers and sings, lip syncs, dances, or otherwise performs in a lascivious manner before an audience."
The bill's author, Toth, is a Republican representative who has served his seat in Montgomery County, TX, several times since 2013.
He has most notably introduced legislation involving state-level gun rights aiming to restrict federal control and regulations of firearms, the ban of "Critical Race Theory" content being taught in state schools, several bills attempting to prohibit support of trans children, and even an investigation into the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election results in several Texas counties.
HB 4378, which people are dubbing a "bounty hunter bill," is not being taken lightly by some who believe it's a step toward making being transgender illegal.
Twitter users are taking issue with the fact that any unsuspecting individual in a public space who acts in accordance with the details outlined in the bill can be sued by any random individual over it.
"I read the Texas bounty hunter bill for drag queens. It does NOT differentiate between drag queens and transgender women," a Twitter user wrote. "They are posited [as one and] the same by lawmakers: Men in women's clothing."
If you or someone you know is struggling with harassment or discrimination related to gender identity or sexual orientation, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional or refer to these resources available across the U.S. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
Staff members with the giant snake.