For the past fi ve years, Texas
lawmakers have made it
a priority to target trans-
gender youth, introducing
dozens of antitrans bills.
Emmett Schelling, the exec-
utive director for the Trans-
gender Education Network
of Texas, has spent day and
night fi ghting back and
building love and safety for
his community.
During the past year, it
often felt like Emmett lived
at the capitol. When the
legislature reconvened in
the fall, Emmett and other
advocates were exhausted
after 10 months of fi ght-
ing. But Emmett made sure
that the space was fi lled
attacks on trans youth by
attempting to criminalize
gender affi rmation as a form
of child abuse, Emmett,
himself a father and trans
man, again mobilized the
entire state to fi ght back.
Emmett is leading a
scary and grueling fi ght for
trans survival, and we are
so lucky to have him.
Strangio is deputy director
for transgender justice with
the ACLU
with joy and sweetness. On
the day of a critical hear-
ing, a reserved room in
the capitol was fi lled with
snacks, games, and toys for
kids who had had to defend
their existence, month after
month and year after year.
It was a painful day, but we
felt love and solidarity with
one another because of the
way Emmett advocates and
organizes.
When in early 2022 Gov-
ernor Abbott escalated his
Emmett
Schelling
Fighting with love
BY CHASE STRANGIO
SCHELLING: ERICH SCHLEGEL—HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN/AP; AL BUNNI: HANNES JUNG—LAIF/REDUX; DARWISH: MARZENA SKUBATZ—LAIF/REDUX
