Texas lawmaker to receive 'Esther Award' after leaving Democratic Party
A Texas lawmaker who announced that she’s left the Democratic Party over its advocacy for sex-change procedures for minors and other LGBT policies says she’s trusting God to “guide and cover” her as she embarks on a “new chapter” in her life.
Texas state Rep. Shawn Thierry, who represents Texas’ 146th District, announced in an X post on Tuesday that she's slated to receive an “Esther Award for Bravery” from Charmeshia Allen Ministries at its Women Journey to Freedom Conference at the Fort Bend Museum in Richmond, Texas, on Saturday.
Thierry said she was “deeply humbled and honored” by the recognition. “My resolve to stand firm in my convictions and continue fighting for what’s right is unwavering,” she added.
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Thierry’s award at the event, listed on Eventbrite as “a power-packed day” dedicated to “exploring essential topics of spiritual freedom, mental freedom, and emotional freedom,” comes just days after she announced she was leaving the Democratic Party.
In her post on X, the lawmaker quoted from Esther 4:14 as she reflected on her upcoming recognition: “And who knows but that you have come to our position for such a time as this.”
Thierry elaborated on her decision to leave the Democratic Party and become a Republican in an earlier X post last Friday, writing: “After much reflection, prayer, and soul-searching, I have come to a decision that aligns with my core values and the best interests of our beloved country.”
“For my entire adult life, I have voted as a Democrat,” she added. “I was raised in a household with my amazing parents who believed the Democratic Party was the party of the people — a beacon of justice and opportunity for all. But as the years have passed, I have watched with dismay as the party I once knew has drifted far from its roots. It has become almost unrecognizable — radicalized and increasingly out of touch with the values that millions of everyday Americans hold dear.”
Thierry lamented that “the Democratic Party has veered so far left, so deep into the progressive abyss, that it now champions policies that I cannot, in good conscience, support policies like promoting sex changes for children during a vulnerable stage of their lives, and dismantling Title IX protections for women in sports.”
She reiterated her condemnation of said policies, declaring, “it’s our sacred duty to preserve the innocence [of] our children, protect them from being sexualized, and sterilized.”
Thierry also stressed the need to “respect universal truths, and to uphold the rights of biological women as defined by science, nature, and common sense.” After detailing how “I now stand with the Party of Lincoln,” referring to the Republican Party, she indicated that her Christian faith has guided her as she decided to switch parties.
“I know that by making this choice, my choice, I will face relentless attacks, criticism, and mischaracterization. But I will complete my faith walk. Scripture reminds us in Job 13, ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.’”
Thierry expressed confidence that “God will guide me and cover me as I step into this new chapter of my life,” adding: “It is time to shift our consciousness from the distractions of personalities to the substance of real policies.”
Even before switching parties, Thierry’s support for Texas laws banning body-disfiguring sex-change procedures for children and teens and opposing the push to allow male athletes to compete against girls was chastised by fellow Democrats.
Thierry was one of 11 Democrats in the Republican-controlled Texas House who supported the prohibition on body mutilating sex-change procedures for youth suffering confusion about their sex and was also among 11 Democrats who supported a measure requiring college athletes to compete on sports teams that align with their sex.
In a statement reacting to her decision to switch parties, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said, “Representative Thierry served in the Texas Legislature for four terms until the Democrat Party abandoned her after she delivered a 12-minute speech from the House floor in favor of a law I signed to protect Texas children.” The measure in question was Senate Bill 14, which bans castrating and maiming minors under the guise of "gender-affirming care."
A statement from Thierry’s office accompanying the X post notes that the lawmaker's career in the Texas House is scheduled to come to a close as she was defeated in the Democratic Party's primary by an “LGBTQ activist” in her heavily Democrat legislative district. According to Dave’s Redistricting App, which compiles maps of legislative districts at the state and federal level, President Joe Biden carried Thierry’s district by more than 60 percentage points in the 2020 presidential election.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
