Thirty-two Dallas arts organizations have signed a letter opposing the so-called bathroom bill that targets transgender people.

 

Dallas expands loud opposition to bathroom bill – arts & culture community pens letter to @SpeakerStraus #txlege pic.twitter.com/1qdswwjUnh

— Alexa Ura (@alexazura) August 9, 2017

The groups vary from the largest, such as the AT&T Performing Arts Center, to the smallest, like the Danielle Georgiou Dance Group. They say that the bill  would “discriminate against the LGBT community” and could limit the ability Texas cities have to provide anti-discrimination protections in their communities.

In the letter sent to Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, the arts groups say they are against legislation that would discriminate against the LGBT community. They cited police who spoke out in front of the state capital and stated that the bill is “a solution in search of a problem” and “there’s no need for this legislation.” The Dallas Observer reports that Dallas police Maj. Reuben Ramirez said that he’s researched data to 2014 and could not find a single instance of a man assaulting a woman in a bathroom. The bill places a bigger burden on the state’s law enforcement officers, he argues.

The letter also cites North Carolina, which passed a similar bill and suffered a cultural boycott. The state lost touring musicals and major concert artists like Bruce Springsteen.

Texas lawmakers are considering proposed bathroom legislation during a special session underway in Austin. But the session wraps up next week and not much progress has been made on the bill.