Tarrant County Strips Funding for Girls Inc over its Support for LGBT Rights

Tarrant County, TX — (10-04-23) — Due to nonprofit group Girls Inc’ support for LGBT Rights and abortion rights, Tarrant County will cut all funding and end its partnership with Girls, Inc., a nonprofit group that seeks to empower girls and young women.

On Tuesday, Tarrant County commissioners voted 3-2 to block state funding for Girls Inc., following public testimony from conservative residents and activists who slammed the organization over its support of the LGBT Community and a woman’s right to choose.

Talk about feeling like you’re back in the dark ages. The vote came after a week in which some commissioners said they received hundreds of emails which they never produced for public scrutiny, demanding they strip funding from the nonprofit group. At one point right wing republican commissioner Roy Brooks claimed that he received an email claiming that Girls Inc. was communist.

Girls Inc. applied for roughly $115,000 for its “Girl Power!” program, which focuses on self-esteem, stress management, healthy relationships and hygiene. The money, which comes from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, is administered by individual counties.

This is where right wing Republicans saw an opportunity to raddle their dark age base with their never ending war against the LGBTQ Community.

“Girls Inc. is an extremist political indoctrination machine advocating for divisive liberal politics,” said Leigh Wambsganss, a Southlake activist and chief communications officer for Patriot Mobile, the conservative cellphone company that has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote candidates in Tarrant County school board races.

Girls Inc. of Tarrant County serves roughly 20,000 girls a year, from kindergarten through the first year of college. Girls come largely from low-income and Black and Latino families. The organization encourages health, education, career readiness and independence, according to its mission statement.

Tarrant County has directed state funds to Girls Inc. since 2007, and the nonprofit group has operated in the county for 47 years.

Urging commissioners to continue funding the program, Janet Mattern, vice president of programs for the League of Women Voters of Tarrant County, said she suffered from low self-esteem as a child and needed leadership training. Girls Inc. helps deter girls and young women from drugs, gangs and abusive relationships, said Mattern.

Of high school seniors enrolled in the program in Tarrant County, 100% graduate from high school on time, according to Girls Inc. Roughly 90% pursue higher education.

“I know what it’s like to feel like you have low self-worth. I do not wish these feelings on anyone,” said Mattern. “All girls should know they have self-worth. We must lift up our young girls and young women.” said Mattern.

The commission’s two Democrats, Brooks and Alisa Simmons, not only voted to fund the Girls Inc program but were also surprised at the level of vitriol directed toward Girls Inc. Brooks, who said he is a longtime supporter of the group, said some are trying to spread a false narrative about the organization, a narrative that had never been used before.

“Stop trying to destroy the organization for political reasons,” said Brooks. “And let them get about the business of making strong, smart and bold women who know who they are, what they’re about, and just need a little support from the community that claims to love them.” said Brooks.

As we can see, the LGBTQ culture war continues among right wing conservatives.

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

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