Activist protects speaker at Texas hearing delivering a powerful message about trans humanity

“My voice may be shaky,” Perkins said early into their testimony. “My hands may be trembling, but it is not out of fear or trepidation, but out of indignation and righteous anger. I’ve been graciously provided by this body a mere two minutes to plead the case for my humanity.”

Perkins then said that they spent “not an inconsequential amount of time” during the morning deciding how to present themselves to the legislature in a way that would make their humanity clear.

“Isn’t that a shame?” Perkins said. “In reality, it should be obvious that I’m deserving of the same rights and privileges afforded everyone else.”

Perkins then accused Republicans of “hiding your bigotry behind children like cowards… by manipulating the words of an ancient text [the Bible] and shoehorning it into legislation aimed at an at-risk minority population.”