{"id":318090,"date":"2026-06-01T20:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T20:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/318090\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T20:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T20:38:12","slug":"paxton-sues-denton-to-block-gender-neutral-changing-rooms-at-pride-pool-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/318090\/","title":{"rendered":"Paxton sues Denton to block gender-neutral changing rooms at Pride pool party"},"content":{"rendered":"

Attorney General Ken Paxton<\/a> said Monday <\/a>that his office has sued the City of Denton to block plans for gender-neutral changing rooms during a private Pride swim party at a public pool. <\/p>\n

In a joint statement<\/a>, PRIDENTON and OUTreach Denton said the lawsuit was unnecessary because the LGBTQ+ groups had already changed plans and removed mention of gender-neutral changing rooms from all posts<\/a> about their fourth-annual swim event on June 7.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis frivolous lawsuit is a waste of taxpayers\u2019 time and money,\u201d the groups said. <\/p>\n

Paxton\u2019s office didn\u2019t immediately respond to a comment request. <\/p>\n

In the lawsuit<\/a> filed Thursday in Denton County district court, Paxton\u2019s attorneys argued that the swim event\u2019s plan for gender-neutral multi-occupancy changing rooms would violate Senate Bill 8, titled the Texas Women\u2019s Privacy Act and more commonly known as the bathroom ban. The law<\/a>, which took effect in December, restricts access to private spaces in public buildings based on an individual\u2019s gender assigned at birth. The law requires government entities or public institutions to ensure compliance or face up to $125,000 in fines. <\/p>\n

The lawsuit says Denton officials had failed to take corrective action after being notified about the plan. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat dereliction of duty will not stand, and I will ensure that Texas cities follow our state\u2019s laws to protect women and children from men invading their spaces,\u201d Paxton said in a Monday statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n

No fines have been levied against the city, said Kayla Herrod, Denton\u2019s interim director of marketing and communications. <\/p>\n

In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Herrod said: \u201cThe City intends to respond to the Texas Office of the Attorney General to reaffirm that the appropriate steps have been taken to ensure the changing rooms at the Civic Center Pool comply with state law.\u201d <\/p>\n

The city first received a complaint about the event on May 20, according to the lawsuit\u2019s exhibits. <\/p>\n

Steve Sullivan, a former planning and zoning commissioner for the city who is active in local politics<\/a> as part of the Robson Ranch Conservative Club, complained in an email to local officials that the party\u2019s promotion of gender-neutral changing rooms appeared to violate state law. He told the Tribune that he had complained about similar events to city leaders in previous years but was told nothing could be done. <\/p>\n

\u201cSenate Bill 8 changed that,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a gay thing, it\u2019s a legal thing. \u2026 If you want to go swim, go swim. Just don\u2019t break any laws, any rules or regulations, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Herrod responded to his email a day later, saying standard facility rules require that all existing city signs, including those for restrooms, be kept \u201cvisible and unobstructed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe event itself is a private event and is not sponsored by the City,\u201d Herrod wrote in the email that was included in the lawsuit\u2019s exhibits. \u201cTemporary, covered, or altered signage is not permitted in accordance with the law.\u201d <\/p>\n

City staff also informed PRIDENTON that same day about compliance with SB 8, according to their separate statements. <\/p>\n

Sullivan followed by filing a complaint with Paxton\u2019s office on May 27, according to the exhibits. <\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt that there is going to be somebody there making sure that they adhere to not only state law, but also city rules and regulations,\u201d he told the Tribune Monday. \u201cSo who\u2019s going to be in charge of that?\u201d<\/p>\n

The attorney general\u2019s office filed the lawsuit a day later, attaching a May 19 screenshot of the event page on PRIDENTON\u2019s website that includes the \u201cgender-neutral changing rooms\u201d language. <\/p>\n

That page no longer exists<\/a>, and the groups told the Tribune that it had been taken down on May 21. Events that remain online with that phrase are from swim parties hosted in previous years. <\/p>\n

\u201cSince 2022, Big Gay Swim Day has been a beautiful event where invited community members can swim, dance, and exist without fear of judgement or harassment,\u201d PRIDENTON and OUTreach Denton said in their joint statement. \u201cIt is disappointing that bad actors have attempted to turn queer joy into political spectacle.\u201d <\/p>\n