Ken Paxton on Civil Rights

	Ken Paxton on Civil Rights

Consenting same-sex adult encounters should be illegal

During his tenure as state attorney general, Paxton has said consensual encounters between consenting same-sex adults should be illegal and that state workers can deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples. He has argued that doctors should be allowed to deny care to transgender patients and that it should be legal to discriminate against trans people at work, and he has tried to force a school to cancel its Pride week. Source: LGBTQ Nation, "Adultery", on 2026 Texas Senate race , Jul 10, 2025

Costco should end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies

We, the undersigned Attorneys General of 19 States, urge Costco to end all unlawful discrimination imposed by the company through diversity, equity, and inclusion ("DEI") policies. Although Costco's motto is "do the right thing," it appears that the company is doing the wrong thing--clinging to DEI policies that courts and businesses have rejected as illegal.

Costco should treat every person equally and based on their merit, rather than based on divisive and discriminatory DEI practices. That reflects President Trump's executive order encouraging "the Private Sector to End Illegal DEI discrimination and Preferences."

Companies renouncing DEI include Amazon, Ford, John Deere, McDonald's, Meta, and Walmart. Inexplicably, Costco has doubled down on DEI. Costco's position runs contrary to the Supreme Court's recent decisions and raises concerns about Costco's compliance with State & federal laws. Costco should "do the right thing" by following the law and repealing its DEI policies.

Source: Attorney General press release: letter from 19 AGs to Costco , Jan 30, 2025

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