Meghan Fairbanks and Diamond Stylz, two transgender women, have been appointed to at-large positions on the Harris County Commissioners Court’s newly established LGBTQIA+ Commission. The two women pledge to support and empower Houston’s LGBTQ community.
Stylz stated, “We think that being included strengthens us. Serving on a public panel like this one is one of the best ways for people to get involved and contribute to shaping our community’s future. Through socio-political engagement and knowledge, I have dedicated my work to fostering safe spaces for all people. I now have the chance to carry on that work by raising the bar for community treatment in our county.”
The LGBTQIA+ Commission was founded in 2023 to create objectives and coordinate research for suggested planning, development, and behavior relating to the advancement and protection of rights for the LGBTQ community in Harris County.
The area is demonstrating its commitment to supporting this demographic, according to Stylz, and it’s crucial to have members of the homosexual community in consulting positions.
She stated that doing so “ensures LGBTQIA+ voices are heard and represented in decision-making. On a practical level, it’s obvious that they don’t value our contribution or our votes if we advise leaders in one direction and they do something completely different.”
Diamond Stylz has experience defending transgender rights. She began her engagement at the age of 17 when she prevailed in a First Amendment rights case against Indianapolis Public Schools in 1999. This win allowed her to attend the prom wearing clothing that was gender-affirming rather than an ostrich. Now, she serves as the executive director of Black Trans Women Inc., a nationwide organization run by Black trans women with the goals of fostering positive visibility, social advocacy, and establishing strong leadership among allies.
Stylz claims that she is merely attempting to fulfill her role in assisting Houston in realizing its full potential as a top-notch global metropolis that is secure for all LGBTQ residents.
She remarked, “We are a city that has long been home to diversity and multiculturalism while still possessing a distinctive Southern charm. I want our city ordinances and care system to reflect our compassion and principles as a welcoming city for all residents and visitors, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
These ideas are supported by Meghan Fairbanks, who claims that her passion for improving the lives of her trans peers has been sparked by her journey toward becoming an outspoken and proud trans woman.
She stated, “I came out about five years ago and very quickly saw how severe the state of transgender rights is. To improve things, I wanted to get involved.”
In 2021, Fairbanks developed a passion for advocacy and lobbying in response to the anti-LGBT legislation. She has since kept promoting social justice issues and LGBTQ rights. To give transgender and gender-nonconforming people a place to connect and network outside of the traditional support-group culture, she founded Trans & Gender Queer Houston in 2022. Additionally, she continues to belong to the ACLU and Houston’s LGBTQ+ Political Caucus. She is now a board member of the Transgender Foundation of America. She also holds a degree from the Equality Leaders system at Texas.
The flexibility to have control over our body and life choices is under attack in the current political climate, according to Fairbanks, which makes these kinds of appointments all the more crucial to assisting in citizen protection.
She said, “People are actually fleeing this state where we are now living out of concern for their health and safety. They are afraid of their state. Because they want their trans children to have access to medical care, some of our families are relocating. Due to the passage of SB 14, which prohibited transition-related care for anyone under the age of 18, I personally know several people that have relocated from Texas. Texas simply has a negative standing at the moment if you’re transgender. The trans community has a target on their back for some reason.
Despite all the injustice, Stylz stated that she is still hopeful that the LGBTQ community will experience change and better times in the future.
She remarked, “I’m a Black trans woman in the South. I don’t exist without the hope of my ancestors. Without the LGBTQIA+ pioneers’ hope, my pride wouldn’t exist. Sometimes the only thing I can hold onto and look forward to is hope. Hope is what keeps me alive.”
