Texan Goes Viral For Calling Out Legislators Over Anti-Trans Bill
'If we were sitting here like 50 years ago, maybe 60 years ago, instead of talking about trans women going into bathrooms, you'd be talking about Black women going into white bathrooms,' Nick Mollberg said at the May 15 committee hearing. 'Do y'all ever get tired of being on the wrong side of history? Opposed to women's suffrage, as you were, conservatives, throughout history? Opposed to interracial marriage, opposed to civil rights.'
Mollberg was speaking in opposition to Texas House Bill 229, which gives general definitions for only two sexes, male and female, excluding intersex and trans people. The bill states that 'only females' can get pregnant, as well as 'males are, on average, bigger, stronger, and faster than females.'
Mollberg asked the state senators what their grandkids would say to them in the future.
'They're going to look at you the same way the grandchildren of segregationists looked at their bigoted grandparents,' he said.
He continued: 'It was bigotry then. It's bigotry now. You don't care about actually about helping women in Texas. If you did, you wouldn't be letting them bleed out because they can't get access to abortion care. You wouldn't be letting them die of gun violence and not lifting a finger to help them.'
A clip of Mollberg has gained attention on social media, racking up more than 1 million views on TikTok and more than 2 million on Instagram. Mollberg did not respond to HuffPost's request for comment.
Several transgender people also testified against the bill, including Autumn Lauener, vice president of The Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Scholars, a group that promotes inclusiveness toward different gender identities and expressions in public policy. She said House Bill 229 'accomplishes nothing.'
'It does not protect children,' Lauener said. 'It does not support families. It serves only to erase, to attempt to write transgender and intersex people out of the story of Texas. But our existence is resistance, and we will never stop resisting. Our community will not be erased. Nothing this legislator does can end who we are. We have always been here, and we are not going anywhere.'
During the 2025 Texas legislative session, Texas Republicans have introduced more than 120 anti-trans bills, according to Axios.
During his testimony, Mollberg said he remembered when Republicans 'for years' thought gay marriage was 'going to end the world' until public opinion shifted and they had to pick a 'new scapegoat.' Mollberg added that if any lawmakers were going to vote for the bill, he would look them in the eye while they were doing it and call them a bigot and coward.
'It's not that you can sit here and actually do the business of the people, make lives better for Texans like me,' Mollberg said. 'No, no, no, there's no time for that. We got to bully 1% of the population. We've got to harm them as badly as we possibly can.'
He continued: 'You are not interested in helping or protecting women. Period. Full stop. You're here to hurt trans people. No other reason.'
Elon Musk Is Leaving The Trump Administration After Criticizing 'Big Beautiful Bill'
California Sports Org Expands Finals Eligibility After Trump Tantrum Over Trans Athlete
High School Runner Slams 'Bully' GOP Lawmaker For Targeting Race's Trans Winner
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
4 minutes ago
- The Hill
Minnesota state lawmaker resigns following burglary conviction
A Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker who was found guilty of burglarizing her stepmother's home resigned from office on Friday. 'I am stepping down from the MN Senate, but I can't do that without expressing my gratitude,' former state Sen. Nicole Mitchell posted on the social platform X. 'Thank you to my family, friends, & constituents who shared the issues they care about & trusted me to work on their behalf.' 'It's been a true honor to serve MN & the community I grew up in,' she added. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Mitchell separately penned a note to constituents thanking them for support as she formally tendered her resignation to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). 'It has been a true honor to serve the state of Minnesota and the community I grew up in,' Mitchell, 51, wrote in the email message to supporters, per the Tribune. Mitchell, a former Weather Channel meteorologist and lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, was convicted on two felony counts last week after breaking into the home of her father's widow last year. She alternately claimed she was trying to check on her estranged stepmother and that she was attempting to recover personal items from her father, who died in 2023. 'I was just trying to get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore,' police video of her arrest showed Mitchell telling her stepmother the night of the burglary. Mitchell, who was first elected to the state Senate in 2022, hasn't been sentenced in the case, but she could face 20 years behind bars. Walz, who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee last fall, will be responsible for calling a special election to pick Mitchell's successor in her deep Democratic seat, but the governor's office didn't immediately respond to The Hill's requests for details. Democrats held a one-seat majority in the Minnesota Senate, so Mitchell's vote was viewed as crucial to passing Democratic legislation while she was awaiting trial. She refused to resign before her conviction last week but was expected to ultimately step down by Aug. 4.
The Hill
4 minutes ago
- The Hill
Democrats seek to capitalize on Epstein uproar
PRESIDENT TRUMP is hoping to leave questions about his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case in the rearview mirror as he begins his weekend trip to Scotland, while Democrats lean into the controversy and seek to leverage it for political gain. Trump will open his third golf course in Scotland this weekend, with the newest to be named after his late mother. The president will also meet with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to 'refine' a trade deal with the U.S., while seeking to further negotiations on a trade deal with the the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. But the political frenzy in Washington has shown no signs of abating, driven by Trump's demands that Republicans drop the issue, the Justice Department 's new interest in Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, subpoenas from Congress, and Democratic efforts to stoke an issue they hope will split Trump's MAGA base. 'The Radical Left Democrats are doing everything in their power to distract and obfuscate from our GREAT six months of service to America, results of which many are saying is the BEST six months in Presidential history,' Trump posted Friday on Truth Social, hitting 'yet another Democrat CON JOB.' Trump has instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release grand jury transcripts, but a judge ruled they must remain sealed. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a Thursday interview with CBS News' Major Garrett that the Epstein files are 'not a hoax.' 'They are real victims here, but that's part of a delicate — the balance that's being done here is, I tried to explain in my press conference this week, man, we want full disclosure,' Johnson added. 'If I had — if I had these things in my possession, I would have put them out a long time ago, but I would also have been very careful to protect the innocent,' the Speaker added. Todd Blanche, the No. 2 Department of Justice (DOJ) official, has taken the unusual step of interviewing Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison on sex-trafficking charges. Maxwell's attorney said she answered hours of questions on Thursday and thanked the government for trying to 'uncover the truth.' Blanche continued the interview on Friday, and has said he'll share more information 'at the appropriate time.' Trump was asked Friday if he'd consider a pardon for Maxwell if she delivers new information on the case. 'I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about,' he said. Maxwell's attorney David Oscar Markus responded outside the federal courthouse where the interview took place: 'We haven't spoken to the president or anybody about a pardon just yet. The president this morning said he had the power to do so and we hope he exercises that power in the right and just way.' The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed testimony from Maxwell and will interview her next month. Trump is eager to move on. 'People should really focus on how well the country is doing,' he told reporters before boarding a plane to Scotland. 'I have nothing to do with this guy,' he added. The media is busy digging up old interactions between Trump and Epstein, who ran in similar social circles until Trump says he cut off contact with the disgraced financier for being a 'creep.' Trump is suing The Wall Street Journal over a story saying he sent a risqué birthday card to Epstein. The Journal now reports that many other high-profile individuals also contributed to a birthday album for Epstein, including former President Clinton, designer Vera Wang, and billionaires Leon Black and Les Wexner. The House approved subpoenas to compel testimony from Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as several other senior Democrats from the Obama and Biden administrations. A separate Journal story said Trump was informed by Bondi earlier this year that his name was one of many in the Epstein files. 'You ought to be speaking to Bill Clinton who went to the island 28 times,' Trump told reporters on Friday. 'I never went to the island.' DEMS SEEK TO CAPITALIZE Democrats have a sudden interest in the Epstein case now that it's become a political headache for Trump. 'It's outraged some of [Trump's] core base, I enjoy the hell out of it,' California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said on 'The Diary Of A CEO' podcast. The Democratic National Committee is launching digital ads targeting a dozen Republican-held House districts calling for the release of all Epstein files. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) plans to attack Vice President Vance on the issue in a speech Friday to the Democratic Mayors Association. According to prepared remarks obtained by Politico Playbook, Khanna plans to draw on Vance's past remarks demanding transparency in the case. 'Your silence has been pretty deafening,' Khanna will say at the summit in Vance's home-state of Ohio. Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are cosponsoring a bill seeking to force the release of the Epstein files. Democratic strategist James Carville said Trump could face 'political catastrophe' with his MAGA base, which has long fixated on Epstein as a symbol of elite corruption. Axios reports that the House Democratic messaging arm sent an alert to members this week urging them to 'amplify' the Journal story connecting Trump and Epstein. But not all Democrats think they should be gleefully leaning into the controversy. Some members say they should be spending summer recess focusing on the core issues most important to voters, such as the economy. 'Candidly, this whole thing is just such bulls—,' one Democratic member told Axios. 💡 Perspectives: • Vox: Why didn't Biden release the Epstein files? • The Hill: Gabbard sets Trump's base up for the next disappointment. • Wall Street Journal: How to end the Epstein's follies. • RealClearPolitics: The damage caused by the Russia hoax. • Trump's trip to Scotland: What to know. • Republicans back Graham, Cornyn's call for Obama special counsel. • GOP leaders submarined by Epstein uproar. • Dems pressure Schumer, Senate to hold line on GOP spending bills. • W.H. mulling a rare tool to block spending without Congress. CATCH UP QUICK: Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) reported to prison on Friday, capping a dramatic rise and fall in politics that saw him ascend as a GOP trailblazer before plunging to disgrace. NEWS THIS AFTERNOON Culture wars dominate national politics The culture wars are burning across the country on everything from immigration to education and media. Here's the latest… • The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved an $8 billion merger agreement between Paramount and Skydance. The approval comes after Paramount agreed to pay $16 million toward President Trump 's future presidential library to settle a lawsuit he brought against CBS News. The president accused '60 Minutes' of editing an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris to cast her in a better light. In addition, FCC Chair Brendan Carr said Skydance agreed to 'root out the bias that has undermined trust in the national news media.' 'These commitments, if implemented, would enable CBS to operate in the public interest and focus on fair, unbiased, and fact-based coverage,' he said. Democrats and many in the media are furious over the settlement, which they see as capitulation to the government and a bribe to secure the merger. 'Bribery is illegal no matter who the president is,' Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) posted on X. Since then, CBS announced the 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert' would end next year. Colbert is a Trump critic and his show often features interviews with Democrats, provoking further outrage from the left, although CBS says the cancellation was 'strictly financial.' Media reporting indicates the show was losing tens of millions of dollars every year. Paramount was in the headlines again this week after reaching a billion-dollar deal with the creators of 'South Park,' who went on to skewer Trump in a new episode. • Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick warned TikTok would go dark unless China agrees to a deal in which American owners take control of it. 'You can't have Chinese control and have something on a hundred million American phones. That's just not OK,' Lutnick told CNBC's 'Squawk on the Street.' 'If it's in American control, China can have a little piece, or ByteDance, the current owner, can keep a little piece,' he added. 'But basically Americans will have control, Americans will own the technology and Americans will control the algorithm.' The Trump and Biden administrations both declined to enforce a law passed by Congress requiring TikTok's parent company ByteDance to divest from the app or be banned in the U.S. • The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against New York City challenging its law protecting undocumented migrants. The lawsuit alleges the city 'released thousands of criminals on the streets to commit violent crimes against law-abiding citizens due to sanctuary city policies.' The DOJ is also accusing city leaders, including Mayor Eric Adams (I), of 'efforts to thwart federal immigration enforcement.' 'If New York City won't stand up for the safety of its citizens, we will,' the lawsuit states. • The Department of Education announced the conclusion of investigations into five Northern Virginia school districts, finding district policies accommodating transgender students violate federal law. Meanwhile, The Hill's Lexi Lonas reports: 'Columbia University's settlement with the Trump administration is making waves across higher education as the White House indicates it wants the agreement to be a roadmap for other colleges. Advocates are angry at Columbia's cooperation while President Trump's supporters cheer what they consider much needed reforms after the school agreed to pay a $220 million fine and change multiple policies in exchange for all federal investigations into it to be dropped and a restoration of funding.' 💡 Perspectives: • New York Times: Inside the rise of the multiracial right. • The Liberal Patriot: In praise of code-switching. • USA Today: Columbia deal will reshape higher learning. • Crypto lobbyists mine for influence under Trump 2.0. • Trump signs order on 'pay-for-play' in college sports. • Trump signs order to push cities to curb homeless sleeping on streets. • Ethics panel directs Ocasio-Cortez to make more payments for Met Gala 'Tax the Rich' outfit. IN OTHER NEWS Roundup: Gaza ceasefire talks crumble The Trump administration pulled out of Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, blaming Hamas for failing to engage in good faith as the humanitarian crisis worsens. Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, said the U.S. is considering 'alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.' Meanwhile, top U.S. officials blasted France for becoming the first member of the Group of Seven nations to recognize Palestinian statehood. It's a largely symbolic move that French President Emmanuel Macron described as part of a commitment to 'a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded on X: 'This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.' The U.S. will skip an upcoming United Nations conference aimed at reaching a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine next week. ELSEWHERE… The U.S. military carried out a raid in Syria on Friday, killing a senior Islamic State (ISIS) leader and two of his adult sons, according to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). CENTCOM said U.S. forces killed Dhiya' Zawba Muslih al-Hardani, a senior ISIS leader, along with his two sons, Abdallah Dhiya al-Hardani and Abd al-Rahman Dhiya Zawba al-Hardani, who CENTCOM said are affiliated with ISIS. 'These ISIS individuals posed a threat to US and Coalition Forces, as well as the new Syrian Government,' CENTCOM said in a statement. 💡 Perspectives: • The Guardian: Trump's Alice in Wonderland style of justice. • The Atlantic: Why China won't stop the fentanyl trade. • Iran says it's ready for nuclear talks with the US.
Axios
4 minutes ago
- Axios
Mayoral forum addresses violence against transgender Detroiters
Violence against transgender Detroiters must be more publicly acknowledged and discussed, a mayoral candidate said during a forum Friday organized by nonprofit LGBT Detroit. The big picture: The event — held as part of Black LGBTQ+ pride celebration Hotter Than July — featured conversations about environmental policy and voting rights, but it chiefly focused on the needs of LGBTQ+ residents. State of play: The three participating candidates, Saunteel Jenkins, Fred Durhal III and write-in Rogelio Landin, all said they'd support equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ residents. All also committed to creating an office of LGBTQ+ affairs. Zoom in: Among other questions, moderator Roland Leggett of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters asked how candidates would address the safety of transgender residents. Context: Transgender people are over four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime, per the Williams Institute, with Black trans women even more impacted. And Detroit is no exception. A range of factors are at play, national advocates say, from anti-transgender legislation and rhetoric to other systemic problems like poverty, unemployment and homelessness stemming from discrimination. What they're saying: Durhal said a "significant amount" of Black and brown transgender Detroiters go missing and "no one talks about it." He added that as mayor he'd set a tone for bringing people together for uncomfortable conversations on the topic and would incorporate implicit-bias training for police and other departments to build trust. Jenkins said she'd assure the city's civil rights department has the resources to address the issue and, overall, solve more murder cases, including violent offenders acting based on biases. She added she'd "lean in in every way possible to protect and ensure the expanded rights" through the state's civil rights act. In his answer, Landin agreed with Durhal and Jenkins and emphasized his commitment to equity and justice; he said he'd "double down" on efforts to protect residents.
