Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Denton, Texas, alleging the city is violating state law by permitting gender-neutral changing rooms for an upcoming LGBTQ-themed swimming event. The suit seeks immediate injunctive relief and a temporary restraining order against city officials including Mayor Gerard Hudspeth, interim City Manager Cassey Ogden, and interim Parks and Recreation Director Allison Wing.
The complaint centers on the planned June 7 “Big Gay Swim Day” at the Quakertown Civic Center Pool. Paxton’s office contends that the event, organized by nonprofits PRIDENTON and OUTreach Denton, would breach the Texas Women’s Privacy Act—a law enacted in 2025 requiring sex-segregated changing rooms, locker rooms, and similar facilities for publicly owned spaces.
According to court documents, Denton has only two multi-occupancy changing rooms: one designated for men and another for women. The state alleges organizers intend to use these facilities as gender-neutral spaces during the event. Additionally, Paxton’s office claims PRIDENTON previously converted gender-segregated facilities into all-use spaces at the civic center and plans to do so again for a June event.
The Texas Women’s Privacy Act mandates that public entities take “every reasonable step” to prevent individuals from entering rooms designated for the opposite sex. The lawsuit states Denton failed to address concerns raised by a resident who complained about the planned event.
In response, the city sent an email to the complainant stating the swim party is a private rental and not sponsored by the city. The message emphasized that city signage must remain unobstructed and alterations during rentals are prohibited.
PRIDENTON and OUTreach Denton have described the lawsuit as “frivolous” and a “waste of taxpayers’ time and money,” noting it pertains to their fourth annual Pride Month event. They have not filed a response to the lawsuit, which is among the first legal challenges to the Texas Women’s Privacy Act.
Paxton’s office argues Denton’s response was inadequate and requests an immediate court order to halt any conduct violating the law. As of Thursday, Denton had not formally responded to the complaint. The nonprofits are not named as defendants in the lawsuit.
