Go Texan Day was spurred by the Houston Fat Stock Show and Rodeo back in the 1950s to get the Houston, Texas area jazzed about the annual festivities. On the Friday before the kickoff parade, the Houston community is encouraged to dress traditional western wear: jeans, cowboy hats, and (of course) boots. The original motivation was to encourage civic participation. Today I rush around town to ensure I’m present when our daughter’s preschool class puts on a parade in their rodeo outfits. Things have drifted a bit.

As a lifelong citizen of this great state, I have learned to move past the silliness and see it as a day the city and state can celebrate who we are: Texans.

Texans have been in some negative news headlines lately that may lead the outside world to believe that all Texans are a bunch of backwoods, redneck hicks. And in some ways (and places), I agree. Many citizens and legislators want to limit the rights of individuals and families in the Texas LGBTQ community (TX SB 6 and Jack Pidgeon and Larry Hicks v. Mayor Sylvester Turner and City of Houston), women, and immigrants, too.

So on Go Texan Day 2017 we should celebrate and honor all Texans, not just the cowboys and cowgirls. We should be proud that with over 27.5 million citizens:

50.4% of Texans identify as female

of Texans identify as female 57.7% of labor force is female

of labor force is female 38.8% of Texans are Hispanic

of Texans are Hispanic 12.5% of Texans are African American

of Texans are African American 16.6% of Texans were born outside of the USA

of Texans were born outside of the USA 27.6% of Texans hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher

of Texans hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher 1,000,000+ minority owned businesses

minority owned businesses 800,000+ women owned businesses[1]

women owned businesses[1] 600,000+ LGBT adult Texans

LGBT adult Texans 46,000+ same-sex Texas couples[2]

same-sex Texas couples[2] 125,000+ transgender Texans [3]

We still have a long way to go but let us take pride in our differences. Diversity makes Texas our home.

Go Texan Day: Go Texas Diversity!

[1] United States Census Bureau

[2] Williams Institute UCLA School of Law – LGBT Fact Sheet

[3] Williams Institute UCLA School of Law – TX SB6 study on effects on Transgender Texans