#BREAKING Texas lawmakers have OK'd allowing unlicensed religious chaplains to work in mental health roles in schools, despite concerns the bill is a "Trojan horse" for evangelism & will worsen the state's mental health crisis. @TexasTribune#txlegetexastribune.org/2023/05/24/tex…
The bill allows Texas schools to use school safety funds to pay for unlicensed chaplains. Volunteer chaplains will also be allowed. #txlegetexastribune.org/2023/05/24/tex…
Last week, we reported that a key supporter of the chaplains bill has, for decades, also led another group that touted its use of school chaplains to spread the Gospel. Bill opponents feared as much. #txlege
Texas Freedom Network said Wednesday that the bill violates children's religious freedom and called it "egregious" that lawmakers passed a law that redirects safety $$ to chaplains -- on the one-year anniversary of the Uvalde shooting. #txlegetexastribune.org/2023/05/24/tex…
A great look at the coalition of right wingers, Christian Nationalists and education leaders who drove the chaplains bill, and how it fits into their broader mission to inject their religion into public life. via @jackmjenkins religionnews.com/2023/05/24/mee…
Here is State Board of Education member Julie Pickren posing last month with Rocky Malloy, whose group was key to pushing the chaplains bill, and Rafael Cruz, father to Ted and longtime Christian Nationalist leader. h/t @jackmjenkins
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#BREAKING Far-right "anti-groomer" Rep. Bryan Slaton has resigned after an investigative panel found he had sex with a 19yo staffer. Slaton allegedly gave her enough alcohol that she felt dizzy and had double vision. via @James_Barragan#txlege texastribune.org/2023/05/08/bry…
Slaton's resignation comes amid a wave of scandals involving purportedly "anti-grooming" Republicans in Texas. Last month, Dallas-area "stop the steal" activist Ali Alexander apologized for allegedly soliciting sex + nudes from underage boys. thedailybeast.com/inside-trumpwo…
In May, I reported that Jared Woodfill, a leader of anti-LGTBQ movements in Texas, had known for years about child sex abuse claims against his longtime law partner and Southern Baptist leader Paul Pressler. texastribune.org/2023/03/27/hou…
Mauricio Garcia, who killed 8 people outside of Allen Premium Outlets, was reportedly wearing a "Right Wing Death Squad" patch. The phrase is popular among neo-Nazis and other extremist groups. washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/05…twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Also: Seeing a lot of blowback to WaPo and WSJ saying Mauricio Garcia may have had white supremacist ties, given his race. So periodic reminder that there's a long history of POCs advancing and supporting Nazi/white supremacist goals/ideology.
"Right Wing Death Squad" is also big among the Proud Boys, who are led by an Afro-Cuban guy named Enrique Tarrio.
🧵🧵 In Texas, lawmakers and Christian nationalists are openly calling church-state separation a "myth" and blaming it for school shootings, crime and growing LGBTQ acceptance. Those beliefs could soon be codified in Texas law. texastribune.org/2023/05/04/tex…
In Texas, Christian nationalists and church-state opponents see a model for "a restoration of faith in America."
Groups such as the First Liberty Institute - which has argued major cases to the U.S. Supreme Court - have been particularly active. #txlege texastribune.org/2023/05/04/tex…
The pushes come after a series of consequential Supreme Court rulings, as well as a growing acceptance of Christian nationalism on the right. Recent polling found ~50% of Republicans held or sympathized with CN views.
🧵🧵For years, Jared Woodfill has led extreme anti-gay campaigns in Texas, comparing LGBTQ people to child molesters.
And for years, he's known of child sex abuse claims against his longtime law partner and Southern Baptist leader Paul Pressler. texastribune.org/2023/03/27/hou…
Under oath last month, Woodfill said he was told in 2004 that Pressler sexually abused a minor - claims that were made during mediation of an assault lawsuit against Pressler that Woodfill quietly settled for $450,000. texastribune.org/2023/03/27/hou…
Despite that, Woodfill denied any knowledge of Pressler's behavior in 2016, when a young attorney told him Pressler told him "lewd stories" about being naked with men before inviting him to skinny-dip. texastribune.org/2023/03/27/hou…
🧵🧵I looked at 25+ drag protests that have occurred in Texas since Pride 2022 - events that are fueling anti-drag panic and numerous bills targeting the LGTBQ community. Here's what I found: texastribune.org/2023/02/24/tex…
Drag opponents say they're "protecting kids" from drag, which they claim is inherently sexual. Yet they've often harassed and protested adults-only events, or "family friendly" events such as fundraisers for the LGBTQ community and those at churches. texastribune.org/2023/02/24/tex…
At least 25% of protests/harassment campaigns have been directed at drag story hours. Organizers say they're great for child literacy because they're engaging and fun - not unlike other educational events that rely on costumes or outlandish behavior. texastribune.org/2023/02/24/tex…
Shamp's backstory makes this even more interesting: He was at J6, prophesied Trump would win, then condemned people who "believed the media more than the prophets" about the outcome of the election.
Point being, it'll be really interesting to see how these folks - who have spent 6 years relaying visions of Trump vs. forces of darkness - try to square their earlier claims with new support for DeSantis, which is sure to get blowback from their most bought-in followers.
As @juliaduin noted, Shamp and other "prophets" have mostly evaded scrutiny for bad predictions - and have actually received a lot of criticism from their circles when they've said they were wrong. religionunplugged.com/news/2020/11/1…