Jonathan Van Ness Speaks at Rally to Protest Anti-LGBT Bills at Texas State Capitol

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Celebrities spoke and performed at a rally to protest against proposed anti-LGBT+ legislation at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Monday, March 20, videos filmed by Instagram user @indiecom show.

Jonathan Van Ness, most know for their role on the Netflix show Queer Eye, spoke to the crowd gathered at the steps of the Texas State Capitol on Monday, advocated for trans rights, and encouraged the crowd to keep protesting.

“At a time when we have child poverty at an all-time high, we have access to healthcare at an all-time low, people are fighting like they’ve never fought before for basic human rights. And we are out here debating trans issues that these legislatures have no idea about,” Van Ness said.

Puerto Rican drag queen and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Cynthia Lee Fontaine, also known as Carlos Diaz Hernandez, performed a lip sync to “I Am What I Am” from the Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles, in protest against bills that would curtail drag performances and gender-affirming healthcare.

The event was organized by multiple groups, including Equality Texas, the Texas Freedom Network, Transgender Education Network of Texas, Lambda Legal, HRC Houston, HRC Austin, and the ACLU of Texas.

“So far this legislative session, 139 good bills and 137 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced, demonstrating a change in tide as Texas advocates and allies not only play defense against the barrage of harmful bills, but also outpace them with a push for bills that would benefit the lives of LGBTQ+ Texans across the state. Thank you for standing with LGBTQ+ Texans in this fight!” Equality Texas wrote on Facebook. Credit: @indiecom via Storyful