CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Texas officials threw in yet another obstacle that makes it harder to eliminate discrimination against the LGBTQ community. The State Board of Social Work Examiners decided to allow social workers to deny services to people based on sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
"It's insulting. It's shameful. It has not been used in any other agency, or any other rule or any other community," said Tom Tagliabue, the president of the Mosiac Project South Texas; it's also known as Pride Corpus Christi.
Will Francis with the Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers said this new rule impacts vulnerable communities including children who receive public assistance.
"A social worker within child welfare could now chose potentially to withhold services," said Francis.
Francis said because social workers work across a spectrum of services, the change in rules can affect everything from clients in need of child services to government resources like group or family therapy.
"You see them in child welfare working in CPS, you see them in hospitals, you see them working in private practice, you see them in the criminal justice system, health care. The list goes on and on, there are social workers there," Francis added.
Francis said the NASW Texas chapter completely opposes this 'change of conduct' because it goes against everything they stand for.
"The whole basis of social work is that a client has the right to self determination. They have the right to go after and live the life they want and it's not my job to put my own judgements beliefs or views in the way of that person achieving happiness and success," said Francis.
Tom Tagliabue said there's a way to put an end to potential discrimination...vote.
"We have the ability to make our voice known up and down the ballot on everything from issues that are in Washington D.C. to all the way down in your neighborhood in Corpus Christi, Texas," said Tagliabue.
The NASW said the fight against the new rule won't end anytime soon and, they've set up a petition to 'Stand with Texas Social Workers' and remove discrimination once and for all.
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