Civil Rights Icon Linda Morales Continues Her Fight for Justice

Linda Morales made history as part of the landmark legal case Morales v. State of Texas. In 1994, Morales, along with a group of other people, challenged Texas Penal Code § 21.06, which criminalized private, consensual sexual activity between same-sex adults.

The trial court declared the statute unconstitutional and issued an injunction against its enforcement. The Texas Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s judgment before the Texas Supreme Court eventually overturned the appellate court’s decision.

The case made Morales, already a well-known community organizer, famous. We caught up with her to see what she’s doing more than 30 years after that groundbreaking decision.

OutSmart: You recently celebrated your 70th birthday. You’re still working on organizing labor, politics, and various community groups. And you recently launched Raise the Mic, a Facebook column about politics and civil rights. How has that new endeavor been going?

Linda Morales: I believe in lifting people up, not tearing them down. That’s what Raise the Mic is about: raising all of our voices until those in power can’t ignore us. The response to Raise the Mic has been energizing and encouraging. I started it because I wanted to encourage people not to be afraid to speak truth to power. Too often, we think our voices don’t matter, but the truth is that they do. And when we raise them together, they become impossible to ignore. That is when change happens.

So far, I’ve covered voting rights, LGBTQ Latino Houston history, labor rights, women’s rights, attacks on democracy, and the growing threats to due process in Texas. What has surprised me most is how many people privately reach out to say, “You said what I was thinking, but I was afraid to say it.” That tells me there’s a real hunger for honesty, courage, and connection. The number of Facebook “Likes,” plus people that don’t or can’t like us for their own political reasons, approach me and say, “Keep writing because we look forward to your columns. You educate us about the issues.”

Coming up, I want to dig deeper into the intersection of civil rights and economic justice, because whether we’re talking about LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, women’s, or workers’ rights, it all comes down to dignity and equality.

How do you see the state of civil rights for LGBTQ folks in Texas? What are the challenges we’re facing? And most importantly, what can we do about it?

The state of civil rights for LGBTQ+ Texans is fragile. We are living in a time where our rights are constantly under attack in the Legislature, in schools, and in our communities.

We see bills that target LGBTQ+ youth, restrict healthcare access, and attempt to erase people’s identities from public spaces. These aren’t just political games—they impact real lives, families, and futures.

The challenge we face is not only the legislation itself, but also the culture of fear that these attacks create. People start to feel like they need to hide who they are, and that’s unacceptable. What we can do about that is build solidarity. LGBTQ+ Texans cannot fight alone.

Allies, unions, faith groups, and civic organizations must link arms and refuse to let politicians divide us. We need to keep showing up, voting, organizing, and amplifying voices that are too often silenced.

How do you see immigration, especially in Texas? Again, what are the challenges we’re facing and what can we do about it?

Immigration is part of the fabric of Texas—it always has been. Families have crossed borders for generations to seek safety, opportunity, and a better life. But instead of addressing immigration with compassion and common sense, too many of our leaders are using it as a political weapon. Immigrant communities are scapegoated, criminalized, and dehumanized.

The biggest challenge is the lack of real solutions. People want safety and order at the border, but they also want dignity and fairness for families, workers, and children. What we can do about it is push for comprehensive reform—policies that are humane, realistic, and rooted in economic justice. Texas should be leading the nation in finding solutions, not fueling division. We need to keep reminding folks that immigrants aren’t the problem. They are part of the solution and part of the future of this state.

Finally, is there anything you especially want OutSmart readers to know?

I want your readers to know that they are not alone, and they are not powerless. The attacks we face are designed to make us feel isolated. But when we come together, we are unstoppable. Know your rights, use your voice, and never underestimate the power of solidarity.