Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the City of Denton and several city officials, alleging the city is allowing planned violations of the state’s Texas Women’s Privacy Act at a public swimming pool during an upcoming private event.
The lawsuit, filed in Denton County district court, seeks to block a June 7 event known as “Big Gay Swim Day,” which is scheduled to take place at the Quakertown Civic Center pool. The event is organized by the nonprofit groups PRIDENTON and OUTreach Denton and is advertised as open to people of all ages.
According to Paxton’s office, event organizers have promoted the availability of “gender-neutral changing rooms” at the city-owned facility. The attorney general argues that such accommodations would violate state law because the civic center’s changing rooms are designated for use based on biological sex and are designed for multiple occupants.
“Cities cannot disregard Texas law by allowing men to change with young kids in spaces designated for women,” Paxton said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “The City of Denton had an opportunity to prevent this violation and chose to do nothing. That dereliction of duty will not stand, and I will ensure that Texas cities follow our state’s laws to protect women and children from men invading their spaces.”
The lawsuit names the City of Denton, Mayor Gerard Hudspeth, Interim City Manager Cassey Ogden, and Interim Parks and Recreation Director Allison Wing in their official capacities.
At the center of the dispute is Senate Bill 8, known as the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, which took effect following the most recent legislative session. The law requires publicly owned multiple-occupancy private spaces, including restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms, to be designated for use by one sex only. It also requires political subdivisions to take “every reasonable step” to prevent individuals of the opposite sex from entering those spaces.
Court filings state that the Quakertown Civic Center contains two multi-occupancy changing rooms, designated separately for men and women. The state alleges that organizers’ advertising of “gender-neutral changing rooms” indicates an intention to permit access regardless of sex, contrary to state law.
The lawsuit also cites a similar event held at the facility in 2024, during which PRIDENTON reportedly advertised that it had “converted” gendered changing rooms for the duration of the event. The filing further references another upcoming PRIDENTON event that states on its website that multi-stall restrooms at the civic center will be converted to “all-use” facilities during that gathering.
According to the state’s petition, a Denton resident notified city officials on May 19 about concerns regarding the planned use of the changing rooms. The lawsuit alleges the city failed to provide assurances that the facilities would remain in compliance with state law.
The attorney general’s office argues that Denton is obligated to enforce the law even when city facilities are rented to private organizations. The suit contends the city’s failure to act constitutes a violation of state requirements governing sex-specific private spaces.
The state is seeking a temporary restraining order, a temporary injunction, and a permanent injunction to prevent what it describes as unlawful use of the changing rooms and to prohibit future violations of the Texas Women’s Privacy Act at city facilities.
PRIDENTON and OUTReach Denton posted a joint statement in response to what they called a “frivolous lawsuit” and a “waste of taxpayers’ time and money.”
The organizations said they had already removed the “all-gender bathrooms” language from their advertisements, adding, ” Like any other resident or group, as a local not-for-profit organizations, we have the right to reserve city facilities for private events. As a community, we wholeheartedly condemn Paxton’s pervasive use of transphobic, dehumanizing, and false rhetoric in this attack on our community. “
“Since 2022, Big Gay Swim Day has been a beautiful event where invited community members can swim, dance, and exist without fear of judgement or harassment,” the organizers stated. “It is disappointing that bad actors have attempted to turn queer joy into political spectacle.”
The event is scheduled for June 7 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Quakertown Civic Center pool.
