Democrat Texas House candidate Amelia Rabroker says she is seeking office “as an artist first,” bringing to the race a background rooted in the operation of an arts studio that has also served as a venue for LGBT activism.
Rabroker is the Democrat nominee for House District 55 in Bell County, currently held by Republican State Rep. Hillary Hickland.
In a March profile, she wrote, “Today, as I run for a seat in the Texas State House representing HD 55, I do so as an artist first.”
She continued, “Artists see patterns. We work iteratively. We imagine what does not yet exist. … Creativity is not separate from leadership. It is leadership.”
Rabroker owns The Art Space of Central Texas in Harker Heights. The studio has hosted pottery classes, empowerment workshops, Reiki classes, chakra workshops, and other “metaphysical gatherings.”
The studio has regularly hosted multiple LGBT-themed events. Those included stained-glass pride flag workshops and “Rainbow Pottery Painting Pride and Allies” sessions advertised as suitable for all ages. Promotional materials featured the lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, and pansexual pride flags.
One 2023 pride-themed stained-glass event prompted criticism on social media. In response, Rabroker posted a video addressing those she said were invoking Christianity to object to the event.
In the video, she said, “Your sense of self-righteousness and entitlement under the guise of Christianity is just downright harmful. … So, to be clear, I do not want your business, nor do I need your business, nor do I want business of anyone that thinks like you do. I sincerely hope you haven’t followed me, because I don’t tolerate any sort of hate in my life or in my establishment. Happy Pride.”
Rabroker’s public social media has also included posts supporting “transgender rights,” promoting Transgender Day of Remembrance, and sharing a video she described as “the best breakdown explaining sex and gender”—in which a man lectures a baby about how they can be any gender they want.
Rabroker did not respond to Texas Scorecard‘s request for comment before publication.
