A protester carries a sign in defense of transgender people during a 2023 rally for LGBTQ+ rights. Credit: Shutterstock / Michael TubiLGBTQ+ advocates are bracing for a rise in harassment after Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed a law effectively barring transgender people from using restrooms in government-owned buildings and facilities. The Texas bathroom bill also forbids prisons and jails from making housing exceptions for transgender inmates. Dan Patrick, the Texas Senate has passed six separate bathroom bills since 2017, but each has stalled in the Texas House.