We’ve written a few times about Texas state representative Bill Zedler. He’s the proud sponsor of HB 285, which provides:
An institution of higher education may not discriminate against or penalize in any manner, especially with regard to employment or academic support, a faculty member or student based on the faculty member’s or student’s conduct of research relating to the theory of intelligent design or other alternate theories of the origination and development of organisms.
Zedler’s lunacy isn’t limited to creationism; his madness goes far beyond that. In More about Bill Zedler we described his efforts to license exotic dancers and other workers in any “sexually oriented business”, including adult video stores and strip clubs.
We’ve called him a lunatic legislator, the Z-man, and other things, but that doesn’t begin to describe him. Looking at the biography section of his page at the legislature’s website, we learn that he lives in Arlington, where he serves on the Advisory Board of the Arlington Pregnancy Center and has been an Elder at Park Springs Bible Church. Thus we see that his personal life is consistent with his legislative interests — sex and religion are his major concerns.
Although he served as a “hospital personnel officer” (payroll clerk?) during the Vietnam war, his official photograph looks like that of a man in his 30s, so either he stopped posing for photos long ago or he has a hideous portrait hidden away in his attic.
Two years ago we wrote Is Bill Zedler the Dumbest Man in Texas? That was when he was sponsoring a bill like the one he’s promoting now, to ban discrimination against creationists at institutions of higher education. It’s described here.
He remains focused on creationism and sexual issues. In the San Antonio Express-News of San Antonio, Texas we learn about his latest crusade. Their headline is Bills target LGBT rights and resources.
Your Curmudgeon doesn’t write about “LGBT” topics, because — as with baseball and opera and so many other things — they don’t interest us. Nevertheless, even we know that — at least in the US — those LGBT initials are used by journalists and others when referring to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and their specialized concerns. But because Zedler is getting involved, we’ll take a look to see what he’s doing.
The news story is about three different things all going on at once in Texas. There’s a matter under consideration by the Texas A&M Student Senate, which interests us not at all, and there are two bills in the state legislature. One is sponsored by someone other than Zedler, and it seems to be pro-LGBT. If that interests you, just Google for Texas and LGBT — there must be hundreds of blogs that are all over it. The second piece of legislation was introduced by Zedler. Here are some excerpts from the newspaper article, with bold font added by us:
On the other side of the issue, a proposal in the Texas House from state Rep. Bill Zedler, a Republican from Arlington, would defund LGBT resource centers on college campuses in the state, alleging they promote and support “high risk behavior for AIDS, HIV, Hepatitis B, and any sexually transmitted disease.”
In a way, Zedler is consistent. He wants to end “discrimination” against funding creationist research, so he wants to spend money on that; and now he wants to de-fund LGBT activities. This is all very scriptural, really. He’s pro-Noah’s Ark and he’s anti-Sodom & Gomorrah. The newspaper also says:
Zedler, who did not return multiple requests for comment, is attempting to attach the proposal to the state appropriations bill as an amendment. The House on Thursday will debate the must-pass appropriations bill, which has 267 total amendments filed.
Clever man. He’s so determined to protect Texas from that LGBT stuff that he’s willing to slip his little bill in anywhere he can. Ah, we found a link to what seems to be his one-page amendment: Zedler’s appropriations amendment. It says:
Funding of Gender and Sexuality Centers and Related Student Centers. An institution of higher education may not use money appropriated to the institution under this Act, or any property or facility of the institution funded by appropriations under this Act, to support, promote, or encourage any behavior that would lead to high risk behavior for AIDS, HIV, Hepatitis B, or any sexually transmitted disease.
Wow — that pretty much bans all social activity, even the hetero type. Anyway, that’s the only Zedler news we’ve been able to find today. But don’t worry — the legislature will be in session until 27 May, so we’re likely to have more to say about him.
Addendum: The San Antonio Express-News reports that Zedler has withdrawn his amendment. See Zedler, Aggies back off defunding LGBT resource centers.
Copyright © 2013. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
An institution of higher education may not use money appropriated to the institution under this Act, or any property or facility of the institution funded by appropriations under this Act, to support, promote, or encourage any behavior that would lead to high risk behavior for AIDS, HIV, Hepatitis B, or any sexually transmitted disease.
“Behavior that would to high risk behavior”?
He’s not just de-funding high risk behavior, he’s de-funding behavior that would lead to high-risk behavior.
This logic would also ban any talk about going to the dentist, blood transfusions, and, according to Zedler’s cuttin’ edge science, swimming in a public pool.
They’ll be outlawing public toilets next. They encourage behavior that might lead to high-risk behavior.
It’s like saying you can’t go to Church because the priest might molest you.
Diogenes says: “He’s not just de-funding high risk behavior, he’s de-funding behavior that would lead to high-risk behavior.”
What he really ought to do is ban all pre-marital dating in Texas. Only married couples (of the officially approved gender types) should be allowed to engage in social activities.
Since Curm has such an interest in toilet cameras, I’ll mention that so far, Zedler has not been caught with a toilet-cam.
However, he’s done the next best thing. He’s called Peepin’ Bill because he examined patients’ private medical records cause he, being a creationist, and knowin’ all that cuttin’ edge sahunce, can tell which which doctors were “wrongly investigated” for malpractice. Then he can stop investigations into malpractice, as he has in fact done. Especially helpful for doctors who fund Peepin’ Bill’s campaigns.
Zedler believes his experience as a medical equipment salesman gives him the knowledge to determine whether doctors were violating standards of care, or, as he argues, wrongly investigated. “I know what appropriate treatment is and isn’t,” he says. “I sold equipment, so a lot of times my customers were doctors. I’ve been inside surgical suites before — that kind of stuff.”
[The Daily Kos]
I’m not a doctor, but I sold tongue depressors to doctors. Now let me see your vaginal endoscopy…. Yes…. Yesss…
alternate theories of the origination and development of organisms
I am always alert for arguments against evolution which turn out to be at least as relevant to reproductive biology. Not often, though, do I see such a clear endorsement of Scientific Storkism.
Conservatives can be so set on principles and sin that they back themselves into absolutely ridiculous corners, and they stand there proudly. Completely oblivious to how the real world works. This kinda crap is how burkas were invented.
Park Springs Bible Church is a Fundamentalist outfit. They believe in the literal interpretation of the bible. So, Zedler has little choice but to push Creationism in any way he can, lest he spend Eternity in the Lake of Fire.
Ian Hyland says: “Park Springs Bible Church is a Fundamentalist outfit.”
You mean he’s not a Unitarian? How very surprising.
The best way to deter the LGBT community from engaging in “high risk” behaviors is to encourage them to get married and settle down.
Oh, wait.
I believe in gay marriage. Those queers should suffer as I have suffered.
– Diogenes
If they want to eliminate activities that lead to high risk sexual behavior, they should stop running for Congress.
@Ed
Bravo, that was good.
@Ed: Ditto anevilmeme. Besides, the Religious Right should be all for gay relationships — cuts down greatly on demand for abortions.
Is a transgendered creation “scientist” too much to ask for?
“Actually, Congressman Zedler, all the scientists are super-cool about my sexuality. They don’t care one bit about that. They just think I’m terrible at science. Can you help me? Congressman? Hello?”
I’m seeing stories, but not in any major news sources yet, that Zedler has withdrawn his amendment.
I just added this addendum to the post: The San Antonio Express-News reports that Zedler has withdrawn his amendment. See Zedler, Aggies back off defunding LGBT resource centers.