
Texas Observer
2,414 FOLLOWERS
The Texas Observer is a progressive nonprofit news outlet and print magazine covering the Lone Star State. The Observer strives to make Texas a more equitable place through investigative reporting, narrative storytelling, and political and cultural coverage and commentary.
Texas Observer
16h ago
A national project tracking anti-LGBTQ+ hate found dozens of homophobic and transphobic incidents in Texas during 2024, ranging from physical assaults to stolen Pride flags, though the most common type of incident were protests by right-wing extremists, often outside of drag events. The database, compiled by the Anti-LGBTQ+ Extremism Reporting Tracker (ALERT) Desk, a project […]
The post Counting Hate: At Least 61 Anti-LGBTQ+ Incidents in Texas Last Year appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more
Texas Observer
2d ago
Chloe Latham Sikes is deputy director of policy at the Intercultural Development Research Association, a San Antonio-based nonprofit that seeks to strengthen public education. Texas state lawmakers have gaveled in and started stepping to the tune of well-funded efforts to pass private school vouchers and undercut public schools. It’s a tired tune that state leaders […]
The post The ‘Texas Three-Step’: Defund, Demonize, and Privatize Public Schools appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more
Texas Observer
2d ago
Editor’s Note: The following is adapted from Boulton’s written testimony against Senate Bill 2, which was heard in committee on January 28. I am a former private school teacher, a 6th-generation Texan, a graduate of K-12 public education here in Texas, and the mother of three amazing public-school children and I oppose SB 2, legislation […]
The post Who Really Benefits from School Vouchers? appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more
Texas Observer
2d ago
Governor Greg Abbott declared seven emergency items during his biennial State of the State address, including many repeats from previous sessions like property tax relief, school vouchers, and bail reform. Also sprinkled throughout his speech were lines expressing strong anti-DEI and anti-immigration sentiments. In his Sunday address, which was held at a private business in […]
The post Abbott’s Familiar Priorities Include Property Taxes, Vouchers, Cracking Down on Bail appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more
Texas Observer
3d ago
Editor’s Note: The following is by Molly Carnes, as told to Nico Lang, the author of American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era. Seeing my teenage daughter, Ruby, stand up in her church and claim her space as a proud trans woman was one of the most […]
The post Trans Children Are God’s Gifts appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more
Texas Observer
6d ago
To see more political cartoons from Ben Sargent, visit our Loon Star State section. Find Observer political reporting here.
The post Loon Star State: Send In the Clowns appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more
Texas Observer
6d ago
Last week, the federal Department of Homeland Security reversed longtime policies restricting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection arrests in certain locations including churches, schools, and hospitals. The department’s announcement has sparked fierce pushback from immigrant advocates, school officials, and faith leaders. For decades, some religious activists have used houses of […]
The post ICE Agents in Churches ‘Does Not Bode Well for the Future of Religion’ in America appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more
Texas Observer
1w ago
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared at Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy, and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here. In the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the City Council of Arlington on Tuesday approved plans by French energy giant TotalEnergies to drill 10 new […]
The post ‘Drill Baby Drill’: Arlington Approves New Site for Fracking Near Daycare and Schools appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more
Texas Observer
1w ago
Editor’s Note: An earlier Spanish version of this article appeared in La Opinión. I have always opposed the designation of Mexico’s organized crime groups (what the United States considers “Mexican cartels”) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Now, President Donald Trump has taken action to make this possible—via his January 20 executive order and its mandate […]
The post Cartels Are Not ‘Foreign Terrorist Organizations,’ but Terror in Mexico Is Real appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more
Texas Observer
1w ago
In recent years, Texas public education has become a battleground for right-wing ideologues aiming to embed Christian nationalist values in the classroom and to defund or privatize the state’s public schools, which currently serve about 5.5 million students. This 89th Legislative Session is no different. After spending more than $8 million on last year’s House […]
The post Public Education Bills: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly appeared first on The Texas Observer ..read more