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The state of Texas is collecting information on transgender Texans using data from driver’s licenses — and it’s not clear what exactly that information is being used for. The Texas Newsroom’s investigative reporter and editor, Lauren McGaughy, has the story.
The Trump administration is looking to make changes to federal policy that could affect how homeless service providers do their work here in the Austin area. We sit down with Kate Moore from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition to learn more.
Under the twinkling lights of the 37th Street Lights is a surprising group of fluffy friends ready to be adopted. The price for a stuffed animal? One simple task.
The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.
Syeda Carillo [00:00:09] The state of Texas is collecting information on transgender Texans, and it’s not clear what exactly that information is being used for. We’ll hear more on this story from the Texas newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy. And the Trump administration is looking to make changes to federal policy that could affect how homeless service providers do their work here in the Austin area. We sit down with Kate Moore from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition to learn more. The Austin Signal is a production of KUT News, hosted by Syeda Carrillo. And the 37th Street Lights is an annual holiday tradition for many Austin families, but under those twinkling lights, there’s a group of fluffy friends ready to be adopted. That and more coming up today on Austin Signal. Stay with us. Is it just me or is it one of those weeks that exemplifies just how unpredictable Texas weather can be? We’ve gone from lows in the 30s to approaching 70 degrees on this rainy Wednesday. I hope you’re all staying safe and cozy and dry and thank you for joining us Today on Austin Signal, I’m Syeda Carrillo filling in for Jerry Quijano. State lawmakers in recent years have passed several policies making it harder for transgender Texans to be recognized legally, most notably the recent bathroom bill, which applies to public places like parks, libraries, and the Texas Capitol. But there’s another change that’s been rolled out quietly. Documents obtained by the Texas newsroom show that Texas is keeping track of people seeking to change the sex listed on their driver licenses. The Texas newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy broke this story and she joins me now for an update on what she’s learned. Lauren, thanks for joining us. Thanks for having me. So Lauren, tell us more about what you uncovered through your public records requests and how long the state has been keeping track of this information.
Lauren McGaughy [00:02:16] Sure, so there was a major policy change at the end of 2024 where DPS, which handles our driver’s licenses, as we all know, said they would no longer let someone update the sex on their driver’s license unless it was to fix a clerical error. So for transgender people that through them, you know, through the community and to disarray over this change. But what we also found out was that the state planned to gather information for anyone who tried to make the change, still tried to the change even after the policy change. So I didn’t know whether they were keeping an actual list or if they were just, there was some email address somewhere where, you know, these documents were going. So I eventually just asked DPS for any list they were keep of people who tried to update the sex on their driver’s license. And found out that they did have a list. They did give me an Excel spreadsheet where the names were redacted, but it had the dates of those requested changes. And that’s how we were able to track down that this list of transgender people was actually being kept by the state.
Syeda Carillo [00:03:22] And this has been, they’ve been recording this for just over a year. Yeah.
Lauren McGaughy [00:03:25] Yeah, just about a year. Actually, the records we got covered almost exactly a year, so it was 110 people made it onto this list between August 2024 and August of this year. So, Lauren, what happens now if someone tries to update their gender? Sure. Yeah. So I mean, for years, anyone could go and ask a judge to issue a court order to update the sex listed on their state documents. You can also use these court orders if you want to update your passport or in certain health scenarios where maybe you need to prove your identity. And so these court orders were very important to folks. That was the case up until very recently. Now, if someone tries to go get a court order, it’s a little, we’re acting a little bit of a gray area. From what I understand, judges are not going to be issuing those court orders, likely won’t be issuing these court order because of a new state law that we can talk about. But even if you do have a court order. And you’re a trans person, you try to update your driver’s license or your birth certificate, that may in fact land you on this list, this date list. So even if you get the go ahead from the judge, DPS will deny your request to update the sex on your driver license and they will very likely put you on the list of people that they’re keeping.
Syeda Carillo [00:04:43] So what, if anything, has DPS told you about how this information is being used?
Lauren McGaughy [00:04:49] They haven’t answered any of our questions, so we sent them multiple questions over the past year about the policy change and why they’re keeping this list. And then we also filed a bunch of records requests, you know, for memos, communications, trying to see if we could figure it out that way. And we did get some records back, but they didn’t really give us any more insight into what this list is being used for, what other agencies maybe it’s being shared with. We just didn’t get that information.
Syeda Carillo [00:05:16] And we mentioned this is coming at a time where there have been a number of policies passed at the state level that target trans Texans. How has the trans community responded to the
Lauren McGaughy [00:05:25] use of this list? You know, they’re concerned. Anytime a government entity keeps a list of a specific group of people, especially a group that is this small, you know, a minority community, there’s less than 1% of the population in Texas identifies as trans, it definitely makes them feel like they’re being targeted. And I think the fact that they don’t know why or what that list might be used for is even more concerning.
Syeda Carillo [00:05:50] Absolutely. Well, Lauren, I know you’ll continue to follow this issue. And you’ve reported on a couple of other policies, including the bathroom bill, which we talked about and others that have shaped the lives of transgender Texans. So lots more to come on this. Lauren McGahey is an investigative reporter and editor for the Texas Newsroom. Lauren, thank you so much for joining us to talk about your reporting. You’re welcome. For much of the city, issues of housing affordability and homelessness are top of mind. The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, or ECHO, has worked for years to address these challenges with the help of grant funding from the federal government. But now, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has raised the possibility of changing the rules around this funding. And that raises questions about how this could affect the people who need help finding stable housing. For more on this, we’re speaking with Echo’s Vice President of Homelessness Response System Strategy, Kate Moore. Kate, welcome to Austin Signal.
Kate Moore [00:06:56] Thank you for having me.
Syeda Carillo [00:06:58] Kate, tell us, how has HUD historically issued these grants?
Kate Moore [00:07:03] Sure, it’s something that has been on a regular cycle for the most part. Typically in the summer, they release guidance to local communities on how they’re going to administer the grants. There may be small changes that we would expect year to year, but it’s been something that has run fairly smoothly for decades now.
Syeda Carillo [00:07:25] Okay, so as we know, federal officials have proposed some significant changes to this process. How are they looking to change the rules around this funding?
Kate Moore [00:07:34] Yes. So they are changing a lot really quickly. So one of the big impacts would be a loss of permanent housing resources for our community. We receive about $14 million in HUD Continuum of Care funds. The grant is called Continuum of Care that we administer on behalf of our community. And they have put a restriction this year that only 30% of the funds can be used for permanent housing. Which is a rapid rehousing and a permanent supportive housing, which are two intervention types that HUD allows us to use the funding for. And so this could mean that we have about 500 people who could lose their housing if that change is made.
Syeda Carillo [00:08:22] So with HUD redirecting or limiting the amount of funds that can be put toward those type of interventions, what are they proposing instead?
Kate Moore [00:08:31] So they are asking us as communities to put together applications that are either for transitional housing or for supportive services. You can still put in applications for permanent housing, but there’s a cap for those. So transitional housing is two years worth of assistance. They’re also requiring 40 hours a week of services be available for people in transitional housing. We just don’t have a lot of experience as a community at administering that type of housing, primarily because HUD historically has asked us to stop doing that intervention type and focus more on permanent housing. So this tight turn, this quick shift is causing a lot questions and concerns about how can we keep folks stable in the community as we shift to these new priorities that.
Syeda Carillo [00:09:27] That are brand new. Right, it sounds like a quick shift, like you mentioned, from the approach that Echo and other providers have historically been using. Can you tell us, for folks that are not familiar with the work that Echo does, what are considered the best practices for helping people exit homelessness, and do these changes align with the work that echo is doing?
Kate Moore [00:09:50] So we really want to have in our homelessness response system a broad array of interventions to meet the needs of people, whether they’re sheltered or unsheltered. And so that means we need shelter. We do need transitional housing. We need rapid rehousing. We need permanent supportive housing. We need services that can meet the unique needs of every person that is exiting homelessness. The evidence tells us that permanent housing, where you put somebody into a housing unit and you make robust services available to that person is the best practice. And that will keep that person more likely to be housed long-term than other types of housing options, especially for people that have been homeless for long periods of time, which is called chronic homelessness in our terms. And those people are particularly vulnerable and need a lot of services in order to be stabilized.
Syeda Carillo [00:10:51] So we know that federal officials have put a pause on this change for now because of some recent legal challenges, but if these changes do in fact go through, how could this affect people who are experiencing homelessness here in the Austin area?
Kate Moore [00:11:08] It will affect the agencies first that provide the services. So many of the large agencies that provide services to people experiencing homelessness will have to figure out how to shift their service model. And that causes a lot of chaos, right? They’ve been building programs, they’ve been developing skills of staff, and most importantly, they’ve been housing people in these programs with a certain model. In mind that HUD has endorsed and and funded. And so they’re going to have to shift how they support these folks. We also are going to lose if this NOFO goes forward seven and a half million dollars in permanent housing funds. HUD is telling us that we can compete and shift those funds to transitional housing or services for people who are experiencing homelessness. But that won’t help us keep those folks housed that were being housed by that funding source before.
Syeda Carillo [00:12:11] Are there any proposed changes to the types of organizations that can apply for this federal funding or is it more so a question of how that funding would be applied? It’s more about how…
Kate Moore [00:12:21] It would be applied, the same type of eligibility is still there. So you know, typically nonprofits, government entities can apply for these funds. You know, one of the things that I think could, good that could come out of this is we have some non-traditional providers that we are engaging at Echo to see if they would be interested in applying for these fund. So we are not against… Providing new different types of housing resources, bringing in new providers, all of that is a value add. It’s more about the ending of services for people that have historically been funded. And the quick shift that has happened from HUD is causing a bit of chaos and uncertainty within the homelessness response system.
Syeda Carillo [00:13:11] Well, we’ll continue to follow these changes as this all plays out. We’ve been speaking with Kate Moore. She is the Vice President of Homelessness Response System Strategy for ECHO. Kate, thanks for talking with us on Austin Signal. Thank you so much for having me. We’ve got more Austin Signal coming up right after this.
Fresh Knight [00:13:39] You’re listening to the Austin Signal. Hi, I’m Fresh, co-host of The Breaks for KUTX. One of my favorite songs out of the Austin this year is Video Girl by Grace Sorensen. I just love the bounce to it, the fun hook of it, and the smoothness of Grace on the record.
Grace Sorenson [00:14:00] See you in the next video!
Fresh Knight [00:14:15] Grace is a rising R&B artist out of Austin, Texas. She’s been splitting her time between Austin and LA this year in 2025, but making some waves nonetheless.
Grace Sorenson [00:14:24] Can’t let it slip away, don’t matter how Chase you all around the world To be your video
Grace Sorenson [00:14:35] Girl, real life fantasy
Fresh Knight [00:14:44] I love, like I said, the smooth hook of it. I thought this was an instant hit when I first heard it, and it’s just a fun song. I’m Fresh, one half of the breaks at KUTX. You can find out our favorite songs from 2025 at kutx.org. This is Austin Signal.
Grace Sorenson [00:15:07] When the light’s down, say the word, keep my last name I’ll come running in the foreign brain Here and now, can’t let it slip away Don’t matter how, chase you all around
Syeda Carillo [00:15:22] Thanks, Fresh, for sharing a great song with us. A lot of families consider getting a new pet over the holidays. I know I’m holding out hope that one of my presents will start barking. Maybe you’ve had that thought too, but you’re just not sure if you’re ready for the responsibility. Well, KUT’s arts editor, Stephanie Federico, suggests you visit a new shelter that’s open only in December.
Stephanie Federico [00:15:46] Wendy Mitchell runs a no-kill shelter from her home on West 37th Street. It’s full of animals waiting to be adopted, but not all of them.
Wendy Mitchell [00:15:55] He will be staying with me. It’s sometimes it’s hard to give up some of them, you know, like if you were fostering dogs or something. Can’t get rid of cheese burtel.
Stephanie Federico [00:16:05] She’s holding a grinning animal from a loft inside a 12-by-12-foot shed. You might be wondering about the odd breed name. It’s not a German Shepherd or a Labradoodle. This cheese-birdle is part turtle and, obviously, part cheeseburger. Did I mention it’s a stuffed animal? Mitchell is the founder and chief operating surgeon of the Stuffed Animal Rescue Foundation. The organization takes in and rehabilitates stuffies with all sorts of injuries.
Wendy Mitchell [00:16:36] Missing eyeballs is a common one because of dog attacks. They go for eyeballs mostly. Cats often go for noses. We have a lot of neck injuries, particularly with stuffed animals that are, whose living companions are younger.
Stephanie Federico [00:16:53] Mitchell calls herself a fixer of things, much like her father, who performed surgery on her teddy bear when she was little. Initially, she picked up the injured animals from thrift stores. After a while, people heard she was making repairs and started bringing them to her.
Wendy Mitchell [00:17:07] People would just leave them in bags on the doorstep, like a firehouse, you know, how you can like leave babies, I guess.
Stephanie Federico [00:17:15] At the Stuffed Animal Rescue Foundation HQ, shelves and lockers are filled with supplies. Fabric and noses and every size of eyeball, both googly and static. There are sewing machines, different types of paint, and lots of stuff to get gum or whatever dried candy out of fur.
Wendy Mitchell [00:17:31] So this is the box of random, like colored pantyhose. You know, you’re repairing something and it’s weird and you’re like, well, I wish I had a random blue.
Stephanie Federico [00:17:47] Pantyhose. There are boxes with props, ties and trophies, and musical instruments. Various things she says the animals might be interested in. Mitchell just moved her animal rescue headquarters to this shed, and she’s trying to organize the chaos. Hundreds of stuffed animals in various conditions remain in storage. She’s had to put repair appointments on hold.
Wendy Mitchell [00:18:09] It wasn’t my intention to do a bunch of repairs, but then it started happening. And then I just did that for a long time and then my brain exploded. So I have, I’m getting back to being able to maybe do some of that.
Stephanie Federico [00:18:22] One operation currently underway is uniting a pair of conjoined koalas who are separated and turned into slippers.
Wendy Mitchell [00:18:30] So they had like a padded growth on the back. So I removed that and did reconstructive surgery. So now they have butts.
Stephanie Federico [00:18:41] But what to do with all those rescued animals? Well, when Mitchell first moved to 37th Street over 10 years ago, she knew she had to get involved in the annual holiday tradition of over-the-top lights and quirky displays. In 2010, she started a petting zoo with the stuffed animals, writing first-person bios for each. People who stopped by could fill out applications to adopt animals.
Wendy Mitchell [00:19:03] And then people showed up and they filled out the applications and I was like, Whoa, this is weird and crazy.
Stephanie Federico [00:19:10] This year, she’s switching things up. Visitors will be able to buy the stuffed animals, but not with-
Wendy Mitchell [00:19:16] Each one has a price tag attached to it, and that price tag has a task written on it. And you have to commit legally by the laws of the Stuffed Animal Rescue Foundation. If you take the stuffed animal, which you can do, but you have do the task associated with it.
Stephanie Federico [00:19:36] Once the recipient has performed the task, they have to describe what they did on a postcard and mail it to Mitchell as proof. She’ll then send out an adoption certificate. Mitchell isn’t 100% sure folks will comply.
Wendy Mitchell [00:19:48] I mean it could be that they all just disappear and I never hear from anyone again but usually people are really good at doing what I tell them to do or ask them to because it’s fun.
Grace Sorenson [00:19:59] Aww, she’s so cute. Guys, look with your eyes.
Stephanie Federico [00:20:05] It’s the first night of 37th Street Lights, and families are wandering around, eating ice cream in Christmas pajamas. The brass band Bloco Motion plays funk and soul music in an apartment complex parking lot. Visitors to the petting zoo rush past the start here sign with all the instructions. Children grab at the stuffed animals. Their parents are confused about the process. Brielle understands. She’s taking home a horse. I asked her to read me the task.
37th St Lights enjoyer [00:20:34] Find a new use for a plastic yogurt container instead of throwing it away. I like that one. That’s what I think you’ll do. A lot of things. What can you do with a plastic yogurt container? I could probably use it for like my cat water bowl or I don’t know. I could make a piggy bank with a lid.
Grace Sorenson [00:20:58] That’s a great idea. I love it. Cool. Enjoy. What are you going to name it?
37th St Lights enjoyer [00:21:06] I don’t know.
Stephanie Federico [00:21:10] Arden holds a green snake with a purple tongue that he’s going to name Scaly. His task?
37th St Lights enjoyer [00:21:16] Look at the stars and invent a new constellation, give it a name, draw it on the postcard and send it to us.
Stephanie Federico [00:21:34] Claire is going to prepare a recipe without looking it up on the internet in exchange for a teddy bear.
37th St Lights enjoyer [00:21:39] I’m gonna make a pumpkin cookie that my mom makes and my dad knows how to make it. He’s gonna teach me to make and then I fill out this postcard and he goes into my room which is aka stuffy mania because it’s filled with stuffies.
Stephanie Federico [00:21:54] About 30 stuffed animals are on display at a time. In less than an hour, all the crates are cleared. Mitchell says she’ll restock. I’m Stephanie Federico in Austin.
Syeda Carillo [00:22:10] Thanks to the Texas newsroom’s Lauren Megahi and KUTX’s Miley Carballo for their help with today’s episode. Rayna Sevilla is our technical director. Kristin Cabrera is our managing producer. We’ve got more in our podcast show notes and at KUT.org slash Signal. I’m Syeda Carrillo sitting in today for Jerry Quijano. Austin Signal is back tomorrow and we’ll be here during the holidays with some special shows too. Be sure to check them out and thanks for listening.
This transcript was transcribed by AI, and lightly edited by a human. Accuracy may vary. This text may be revised in the future.
