A Democrat member of the Texas House is denouncing alleged racism from within the left wing of her own party, suggesting that she is “not the only African-American legislator, or voter, who feels this way.”
Mothers Against Greg Abbott founder Nancy Thompson announced last week that her group would attempt to unseat Rep. Shawn Thierry (D-Houston) over her vote to ban sex alteration procedures for children.
During the 88th legislative session, Thierry broke rank with the majority of Democrats to vote with Republicans in favor of a ban on sex-altering surgeries and procedures for anyone under the age of 18. At the time, she gave an impassioned and detailed speech on the House floor explaining her decision.
“It is out of respect, caring, and friendship for every member of this body that I would like to share my position on this very complex issue. I’m coming from a place of love and compassion and can only hope and pray that it is received in that same spirit,” she said.
“I absolutely believe we should raise the age to 18 for children to receive GnRH analogs, cross-sex hormones, and to undergo potential irreversible body-altering surgeries,” Thierry noted. “This discussion is about how best to protect and care for these children.”
She went on to note that “hostile activists” on social media platforms have made “personal and often racist” aspersions against her.
Her maverick vote, one of the only ones she cast that session, sparked ire from within her own party.
“The fact you can’t count on her upsets me the most,” Thompson told the Austin American-Statesman. “She wasn’t using critical thinking skills. It’s not that hard.”
“I just don’t like it when people run as Democrats and then they consistently vote against Democratic issues,” she said, speaking more broadly. “A lot of times, women vote for other women thinking they will represent them.”
The comments from Thompson drew substantial attention online, with some suggesting that Thierry, who almost always votes with the Democrats, was being singled out due to her race.
Coming to the representative’s defense, Austin-based lawyer and political observer Adam Loewy said, “It is telling that Nancy Thompson isn’t going after Valley Democrats who often vote [with Republicans] on social issues.”
“Her sole focus is on [Rep. Thierry] – a successful Black woman who is a lifelong Dem and has a 99% Dem voting record. Shameful,” he added.
When another Austinite, Meebs Aslam, pushed back, suggesting “maybe this isn’t about race and it’s more about her being a terrible person,” Loewy insisted, “No it’s about race. Don’t kid yourself.”
“Again, she could go after Valley Dems for many things but isn’t. That’s telling,” he emphasized.
Democrats from the Rio Grande Valley have a tendency to side with Republicans on a number of issues, while Thierry has consistently voted Democrat, with the exception of voting to ban sex alteration procedures for minors.
Rebecca Marques, CEO of “unabashedly progressive” media company Texas Signal, then addressed Loewy, claiming Thierry has “abused staff, attacked LGBTQ advocates and called them racist while she cozies up to hate mongers, attacked the democrat colleagues on the floor, and fundraised off of her anti LGBTQ votes.”
At this point, Thierry entered the conversation.
“Rebecca [Marques], you’re being completely unfair. First, the so called Republican ‘hate mongers’ you accuse me of ‘cozying up’ to are my fellow legislators who I have a sworn duty and responsibility to work with,” she said.
“You know that the White & Latino Dem & LGBTQ legislators also work with Republicans on bills. In fact, many of the LGBTQ members eat lunch & dinner with the very republicans you openly hate,” Thierry continued.
“Not to let the cat out … of the bag, but some of your favorite Democrats that you champion, laugh with these Republican[s] on a regular basis, they play sports with them, and some even visit their homes etc. You see them on the House floor giving each other a friendly hug or high five all the time,” the Democrat member added.
“So how come when your favorite White or Latino Dems or LGBT fraternize with Republicans, you don’t denounce them as cozying up with hate mongers like you did me? Instead, they get the hall pass — you label them as effective, smart and getting things done in a bipartisan manner,” Thierry alleged.
“However, I get put on the Blacklist!!” she said. “Ray Charles can see through that type of biased hypocrisy.”
Thierry added, “I thought you always said as a progressive, that non Black people don’t get to dictate black people’s feelings. So, you can’t tell me, a Black woman, when, or whether, I’m experiencing racism.”
“Just because the racism is coming from liberal people that you align with, like, or love, doesn’t mean it’s not racist behavior. … Do you know that Black people have heard those kinds of insulting phrases all of our lives and we talk about it amongst ourselves all the time?
“It’s disappointing that the dog whistling is coming from within the progressive liberal space,” she continued. “I am not the only African-American legislator, or voter, who feels this way, whether they speak publicly on it or not. It’s very much talked about in closed circles.”
Neither Thompson nor Marques had responded to Thierry’s statement as press time.
Thierry is not the only elected Texas Democrat to highlight issues she is concerned about within her own party.
Rep. John Bryant (D-Dallas), who had previously served in the Texas House during the 1970s and 1980s, recently slammed modern Democrats for “a lack of strategy, a lack of organization, a lack of willingness to sacrifice personal agendas,” as reported by The Dallas Express.
“What’s lacking is a sense of what it was like to win and be in government,” he added. Bryant called Democrat senators “a bunch of sheep.”
