This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ NATION.

Greg Abbott criticized a teacher for wearing dresses to school events, suggesting that the act was an attempt to promote the normalization of gender nonconformity.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has expressed his intention to “eliminate” transgender and gender non-conforming educators from the educational system in his state. This declaration potentially conflicts with a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace, including on the basis of gender identity.

During a speech at the Young Conservatives of Texas convention in Dallas last Friday, Abbott cited the case of Rachmad Tjachyadi, a former teacher in Lewisville, Texas. Tjachyadi resigned in March after facing harassment from Chaya Raichik, an influencer known for spreading anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments on social media under the username “Libs of TikTok.”

Abbott recounted the situation, stating, “They had a high school teacher who was a man who would go to school dressed as a woman in a dress, high heels, and makeup.” He then questioned the impact on students’ focus in the classroom, implying that such attire might distract from the subject being taught.

Abbott persisted, emphasizing, “This individual, identifying as a man, adopting the attire of a woman within a Texas public high school, seeks to promote the acceptance of such behavior as normal.” He firmly stated, “This behavior is not acceptable, and it’s precisely what we aim to eradicate in Texas.”

In March, Raichik shared photos of Tjachyadi dressed in feminine attire during school functions, baselessly alleging a “fetish for wearing women’s clothing.”

These posts circulated among anti-LGBTQ+ circles, including Abbott, who seized on the “controversy” to advocate for school voucher programs. In an X post, he declared, “No parent should be compelled by the state to enroll their child in this school.” (Critics argue that such vouchers divert public funds away from public schools to private institutions, which may reject certain students.)

Despite over 20,000 signatures on a petition supporting Tjachyadi and an internal investigation by the Lewisville Independent School District finding no policy violations, he chose to resign. Parents lamented that targeting him ultimately disadvantaged students by depriving them of a dedicated educator.

Abbott’s vow to eradicate the presence of transgender and gender non-conforming educators contradicts the 2020 Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which deemed anti-LGBTQ+ workplace discrimination unlawful under federal sex-based discrimination laws.

Nevertheless, Matt Rinaldi, the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, echoed Abbott’s stance, affirming via X, “@GregAbbott_TX is absolutely correct.”

Reflecting on Abbott’s comments, trans investigative journalist Erin Reed remarked, “Many are observing whether the Republican Party will heavily rely on anti-trans politics leading up to the 2024 elections. This indicates that at least some factions in Texas might do so. However, history shows that such campaigning failed resoundingly in the 2022 and 2023 elections.”

Abbott has a long history of anti-LGBTQ+ actions

During his governorship, Abbott has made several attempts to classify gender-affirming care as a form of child abuse, aiming to empower the state to remove transgender children from supportive families. However, the state supreme court has intervened, halting the implementation of this order for numerous families that were under investigation and supportive of their transgender children.

Under Abbott’s leadership, the state has prohibited doctors from offering gender-affirming care to transgender minors, despite widespread support for such care from major medical associations in the U.S. Additionally, transgender students are barred from participating in school sports according to their gender identity, and the state government has even sought access to private medical records of transgender teenagers.

Abbott also signed a ban on drag performances last June, but by September, a judge deemed the law unconstitutional. Furthermore, he endorsed legislation banning “sexually explicit” materials in school libraries, which has been used to target LGBTQ+ literature. Additionally, he supported a law prohibiting local governments from implementing anti-discrimination measures for LGBTQ+ individuals, and he signed off on a ban on diversity programs at public universities, resulting in the elimination of LGBTQ+ spaces and HIV testing programs at these institutions.

These discriminatory policies led LGBTQ+ advocacy groups to petition for a U.N. investigation into Texas for potential human rights violations against the LGBTQ+ community.