A coalition of women gathered on the steps of the Texas Capitol building on Wednesday to voice their strong opposition to an anti-trans bathroom bill and to blast the legislations Republican supporters for using womens rights and safety as a pretext for discrimination. House Bill 32 was introduced by state Rep. Valoree Swanson (R) ahead of a special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ostensibly to address the deadly flooding that killed at least 136 people in the state earlier this month. However, the anti-trans bill is one of 82 measures that have been filed that have nothing to do with the Texas floods. Related Texas GOP holds special session to address deadly floods & files an anti-trans bathroom bill instead Legislators filed zero bills associated with the floods, which have killed 134 and left 101 missing. Instead, H.B. 32, officially titled the Texas Womens Privacy Act, would require people to use bathrooms and other sex-segregated facilities in public schools, state universities, government buildings, prisons, and domestic violence shelters that match their biological sex, as determined by their chromosomes and anatomy and assigned on their original birth certificate. The law would impose penalties of up to $25,000 for violations and would also allow for potential lawsuits. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today According to local ABC affiliate KVUE, a hearing on the bill has not been set during the special session, which began Monday.At Wednesdays rally, former state senator and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis blasted state Republicans for prioritizing discrimination over measures that could help Texas women.I can tell you as a woman that we should be doing everything we can to solve the real problems of this state. We should be standing together and saying, Leave our bodies alone. Let us pee in peace,' Davis reportedly told the crowd. Let us travel the streets of this state without fear that we are going to be stopped because we may be seeking reproductive health care. Let us have autonomy over our bodies once again. State Rep. Jessica Gonzlez (D), chair of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, shared her own experience, illustrating how panic over trans women using womens bathrooms affects cisgender women as well.Ive been followed in public bathrooms myself, she said, according to KVUE. Ive been told that I was in the wrong dressing room because I didnt look the way people thought a woman should look. Its happened to me in this building. So, I know how quickly strangers can decide that your body doesnt belong. Were done watching our trans community be attacked by politicians who wouldnt last five minutes walking in their shoes, Gonzlez added, according to The Advocate. Were done being used as political scapegoats for political gain. Out state Sen. Molly Cook (D), an ER nurse, accused Texas Republicans of exploiting survivors of assault for political gain. This bathroom bill will not make anyone safer, she said, adding that it is not based in data. It is based in hate and it is based in cruelty.Domestic violence survivor and LGBTQ+ advocate Fiona Dawson pointed to the lack of evidence of trans women assaulting cis women in public restrooms. Meanwhile, violence against women happens at three times the rate in their own home, she noted.Human Rights Campaign Texas state director, Meloda Gutierrez, also highlighted the risks for trans women if H.B. 32 were to take effect. I would not feel safe in a mens restroom, and neither would my transgender sisters like Laverne Cox or Hunter Schafer, she said. Thats not safety. Thats cruelty disguised as policy. Black Freedom Factory founder Kimiya Factory told the crowd that its not trans women who are stripping away cisgender womens rights to privacy and bodily autonomy, but white cisgender lawmakers, who allowed a trigger law to go into effect in 2022, banning nearly all abortions in Texas with no exceptions for rape or incest. She called on cis women to stand in our privilege with trans people.Ana Gonzalez of the Texas AFL-CIO (the state labor federation) described H.B. 32 as not only invasive but absurd and dangerous. Darcy Caballero of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes said that she is not afraid of sharing space with trans people. Im afraid of politicians who use fear and lies to divide us, distract us, and endanger our neighbors, Caballero said.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.