Just ahead of the US midterm elections, Texas is witnessing a coordinated disinformation campaign with potential legal and political consequences: a large-scale SMS push that purportedly operated in the name of a queer advocacy group for transgender youth, according to court records filed by a national Republican organization.
In recent weeks, Texas households received mass text messages (SMS) as well as mailers addressed to schoolchildren. The messages pointed to counseling services for gender-affirming care and informational materials about restroom policies at schools. In doing so, they specifically used the name of the renowned Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT).
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Instagram | TENT had already stated two weeks ago that the organization had nothing to do with the alleged information brochures and SMS messages
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In the wake of the distribution drive, TENT faced harsh hostility and death threats. The organization clarified that it had not, in any way, been involved in the campaign and sued in an Austin district court for disclosure of the authorship.
One sworn statement now released by the court from the involved messaging service Infobip confirms that the SMS campaign was carried out on behalf of the “Republican Women Caucus Fund” and an individual named John Braun. A spokesperson for the fund denied any involvement and spoke of false accusations. Parallel to this, local law enforcement in Texas is investigating forgery of documents and improper election influence.
Background: Culture War as a Mobilization Tool
To understand these events, it helps to look at the peculiarities of the American political system and the current polarization in society. Transgender people and LGBTQ+ youth have been at the center of a culture war driven by conservative forces in the United States for years. Laws limiting gender-affirming medical care for minors or bans on books and inclusive programs in schools are central themes in conservative campaigns in states like Texas.
In conservative rhetoric, outreach about LGBTQ+ topics is often mischaracterized as indoctrination of children. By directly sending seemingly provocative materials to parents and households, campaigns aim to provoke outrage over supposed “trans activities at schools.”
At the same time, discontent in Texas with the economic policies associated with the Trump era has opened up space for Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico to challenge the extremely anti-LGBTQ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the upcoming midterms. The last time Democrats won a Senate race in this very conservative state was 38 years ago.
Disinformation Campaign Shows Its Impact
The Republican narrative around transgender issues has already resonated with many voters. According to Advocate, a survey shows that about one in three Americans believes that transgender people account for as much as 25 percent of college sports. In reality, fewer than ten transgender athletes compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) among roughly 510,000 college athletes. The share is therefore below 0.002 percent. (dk)
