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Texas reverses decision that allowed social workers to deny LGBTQ, disabled clients

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  sister-mary-agnes-ample-bottom  •  4 years ago  •  27 comments

By:   Sydney Bauer (MSN)

Texas reverses decision that allowed social workers to deny LGBTQ, disabled clients
A state regulatory board reinstated nondiscrimination protections that had been removed this month at the recommendation of Gov. Greg Abbott.

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T



Texas reverses decision that allowed social workers to deny LGBTQ, disabled clients

A Texas regulatory board has reinstated protections that bar social workers from refusing services to LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.

The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, or BHEC, on Tuesday unanimously reversed an Oct. 12 decision made by the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners, which had stripped language from its code of conduct that protected clients from being turned away on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, had recommended that the board remove the nondiscrimination language, suggesting that it went beyond the state's current policy.

The Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers applauded the reversal and said over 24,000 people had signed its online petition protesting the decision to remove the protections.

"This was a big win today for advocacy, the board and for nondiscrimination," said the association's executive director, Will Francis. "But this is still Texas, and there are not underlying protections for LGBTQ persons. So had these nondiscrimination protections been stripped away, that really would have left people vulnerable, so we need legislation that ensures that there is protection."

Francis said that despite Tuesday's vote, there's still a chance that the nondiscrimination protections could be diluted. Following the vote to reinstate the protections, the nine-member council voted in favor of having the office of state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, weigh in on the changes to the code of conduct.

The statewide LGBTQ organization Equality Texas said that even a nonbinding opinion from Paxton's office could harm the fragile protections and would only legitimize "an opinion from an attorney general who has built his career in part on promoting discrimination against LGBTQ+ Texans."

"We can attest that the October 12 vote and rule change did great harm to the mental health and wellbeing of many LGBTQ and disabled people across Texas," Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas, said in a statement. "A good faith analysis of this issue affirms what is clearly written into state statute: the BHEC has the power to set ethical standards for licensed social workers."

After the vote, Gloria Canseco, an Abbott appointee to lead the council, apologized for the Oct. 12 rule change, which was "perceived as hostile to the LGBTQ+ community or to disabled persons," according to The Texas Tribune.

Requests for comment from the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council and Abbott's office were not immediately returned.

Jose Menendez, a Democratic state senator from San Antonio who testified at Tuesday's council meeting, said the reinstatement of the nondiscrimination protections is a "victory for everyone who believes that there's no place for discrimination against anyone for any reason and a repudiation of the governor's recommendation."

"When anyone would propose to remove language that protects someone from being discriminated against simply because of who they are, that sends a message that you are fair game and you may not matter as much as anyone else," Menendez said, adding that the subsequent reversal "sends a message that advocacy matters, speaking up matters and by working together we can all make a difference."

Menendez said that to prevent a similar situation from happening again, he will file nondiscrimination legislation in the Legislature with Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, a Democrat from Dallas.


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Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
1  seeder  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom    4 years ago

The Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers applauded the reversal and said over 24,000 people had signed its online petition protesting the decision to remove the protections.

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1  devangelical  replied to  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom @1    4 years ago

oh well, he tried. sorry thumpers, no cash refunds.

 
 
 
Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
1.1.1  seeder  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom  replied to  devangelical @1.1    4 years ago

He certainly did try, didn't he?  While Abbott's lips are so firmly glued to Trump's butt, I'm sure that this isn't the last of his shifty shenanigans. 

  

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.1.2  Trout Giggles  replied to  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom @1.1.1    4 years ago

When is he up for re-election?

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1.3  devangelical  replied to  Trout Giggles @1.1.2    4 years ago

his chances look a bit dismal at this point in time. too bad the state board didn't alter the language to prohibit a disabled governor from serving the rest of his term. hopefully after his term is complete, greg finds himself in a very slow freight elevator with 4 gay body builders that want their baseball bats autographed.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.1.4  Trout Giggles  replied to  devangelical @1.1.3    4 years ago

What's wrong with him? Disability that is

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
1.1.5  JBB  replied to  Trout Giggles @1.1.4    4 years ago

Paralyzed waist down after an accident...

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.1.6  Trout Giggles  replied to  JBB @1.1.5    4 years ago

That's a shame. But he has to recognize that without protections for disabled and LGBT people he may never have reached the highest office in Texas

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
1.1.7  Ender  replied to  Trout Giggles @1.1.6    4 years ago

Butt, he wasn't born that way...

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.1.8  Trout Giggles  replied to  Ender @1.1.7    4 years ago

Well...that's crap. People don't choose to be born

 
 
 
Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
1.1.9  seeder  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom  replied to  Trout Giggles @1.1.4    4 years ago
What's wrong with him? Disability that is

A tree branch fell on him while he was out on a walk while in his 20's.  I will not mention my opinion regarding his...accident.

On an unrelated/related note, my cousin once had a pet pigeon named Mr. Peepers.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.1.10  Trout Giggles  replied to  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom @1.1.9    4 years ago

A tree branch? He didn't hear it coming down so he could get out of the way? If you could see my face right now....

Mr. Peepers? Sounds like a cool name for a pigeon

 
 
 
Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
1.1.11  seeder  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom  replied to  Trout Giggles @1.1.6    4 years ago
That's a shame. But he has to recognize that without protections for disabled and LGBT people he may never have reached the highest office in Texas

Yep.  He finagled for himself open-ended funding for his disability, while others in need can go pound sand, I guess.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.1.12  Trout Giggles  replied to  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom @1.1.11    4 years ago

That's the definition of selfish

 
 
 
Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
1.1.13  seeder  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom  replied to  Trout Giggles @1.1.10    4 years ago
Mr. Peepers? Sounds like a cool name for a pigeon

She went back and forth between Mr. Peepers and Governor Peepers.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
1.1.14  Split Personality  replied to  Trout Giggles @1.1.4    4 years ago

He was out on a walk about or running after a hurricane passed and as he walked past a neighbors house a huge tree fell on him partially paralyzing his legs

Anyhow they found in discovery that the tree company recommended trimming the tree a few years before

( what tree company wouldn't? )

So the tree company , home owner and insurance company lost bigly to Mr. Abbott.

Abbott sued the homeowner and tree care company and won a settlement, which shows tax-free annuities in graduated payments. The payments began with a $300,000 check in 1986. They include both monthly payments and lump sums that are deposited every three years.

This year, Abbott will receive about $570,000 from the settlement, with $400,000 coming from a lump-sum payment.

In 2016, during a first term he would receive a payment of $450,000 in 2016. In a second term, two payments would arrive — $500,000 in 2019 and $740,020 in 2022.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.1.15  Trout Giggles  replied to  Split Personality @1.1.14    4 years ago

Does anyone besides me think the Mrs pushed that tree down on him?

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
2  Kavika     4 years ago

Excellent.

 
 
 
Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
2.1  seeder  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom  replied to  Kavika @2    4 years ago
Excellent.

Too right!

2022 is going to be a bad year for this particular governor.   None of us are going to forget how he sold us all out just to remain in Trump's good graces.

 
 
 
FLYNAVY1
Professor Guide
2.1.1  FLYNAVY1  replied to  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom @2.1    4 years ago

How about your "Lt Gov"......  Sounds like he's a piece of work too.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
2.1.2  Split Personality  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @2.1.1    4 years ago

Reminds me of our own Christian Crusader, lol

Can't wait to vote against him either. ;lol

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
3  Trout Giggles    4 years ago

Good to see there are still working brain cells in Texas

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
4  JohnRussell    4 years ago

Michael Bloomberg is funding millions of dollars worth of tv ads for Biden , in Texas, over the next week. He concluded that Biden has a shot to win Texas and he (Bloomberg) would pitch in. 

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
5  Ender    4 years ago

So they say they will change it back but want the state DA to say something about it first, to maybe dilute it some?

Who votes for these assholes...

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
5.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  Ender @5    4 years ago

TexASS republicans

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
5.1.1  devangelical  replied to  Trout Giggles @5.1    4 years ago

= assholes

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
6  Tacos!    4 years ago

I see that there is a legal argument for the language change, but it seems unnecessary. That argument appears to be that since state law doesn't prohibit the discrimination, there shouldn't be an administrative rule punishing someone for doing it.

On the other hand, there is nothing saying you can't place stronger protections in the administrative rules, so they have been restored. Good!

But the bigger question is why would you seek to make it easier to discriminate against people? Texas should enshrine these protections into state law. How hard is it to simply govern from a perspective of compassion for people?

 
 

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