While men are being allowed to use the women’s restrooms at the Texas Capitol, the Department of Public Safety is investigating a group of women who shared photos of the incident—at the behest of transgender activists and the Travis County district attorney.
On May 12, as the Texas House was set to consider Senate Bill 14 to ban child gender mutilation, the legislation drew crowds from both sides of the issue. On one side were moms in red shirts, and on the other side were radical transgender activists.
During the day, a man calling himself Nova Martin entered the ladies’ restroom near the House chamber, drawing objections from women in the facilities. As the women confronted Martin, one woman took a picture of him, fully clothed in women’s clothing and a bright wig, washing his hands at the sink, with his face concealed. This photo was then posted to Facebook, and from there shared on Twitter with the women complaining that they should not be forced to use Capitol facilities with a biological male.
Nova Martin has posted photos of himself dressed and appearing a man with a beard as recently as two years ago. At that time, Martin moved to Texas and began calling himself “Nova” and describing himself as “America’s favorite transwoman feminist lesbian druidess poet.” He says his work is “centered around critiques of economics, hegemonic magic, patriarchy, power and powerlust,” though he leaves “ample space for tangents of love poetry” and “sapphic eroticism.”
Martin also professes to be a “lesbian” and publishes erotic poetry about sex with women.
When the women complained about his presence in the restroom to DPS officers, however, they were told there was nothing they could do, citing fears of a discrimination lawsuit.
After the ladies’ complaints about Martin’s invasion of their space spread on Twitter, Martin and his supporters began complaining to DPS and to the Travis County DA’s office that those who took the picture as well as those who tweeted the picture of Martin washing his hands in the ladies’ restroom were violating the state penal code, which prohibits photography or the transmission of a photo of a person in a bathroom with the intent to invade the person’s privacy.
It was then that DPS acted.
Texas Scorecard has learned that DPS, at the urging of liberal Travis County District Attorney José Garza, is now investigating the group of women who complained online about Martin’s presence in their restroom.
Additional, they briefly detained one woman, seized her cell phone, and are attempting to question others.
The investigation has sparked outrage from pro-family activists.
“It’s astonishing that DPS is more interested in investigating the women who shared these photos instead of the men who actually broke the law,” said Austin Griesinger, the policy director of the Texas Family Project. “This sends a pretty clear message: ‘You don’t want a man in the women’s restroom with you? Too bad!’ DPS should be investigating the men who violated the privacy of actual women.”
DPS is overseen by Steven McCraw, a political appointee of Gov. Greg Abbott.
“It’s frustrating that the Travis County DA, at the urging of left-wing radicals, is able to use Capitol DPS resources to harass women,” said Tony McDonald, an Austin attorney familiar with the investigation. “Where are the Big Three, and why aren’t they doing something?”
Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment as of publication.
