Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American attorney who has served as the 48th governor of Texas since January 20, 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Abbott previously served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015. He is the third governor of any U.S. state to permanently use a wheelchair. He is also the first disabled governor in Texas history.
To the class of 2024
Follow your heart and remain stubborn Last month, I delivered the commencement address at the University of Texas at Arlington’s Lavender Graduation, a ceremony celebrating the LGBTQ and ally class of 2024.
Returning to my alma mater is always an honor, but this time felt different. In the last year, regressive legislators, led by Texas Gov.
Greg Abbott, have banned Diversity, Education and Inclusive initiatives at public universities like UT Arlington. Filed and approved last spring, Texas Senate Bill 17 requires universities to close DEI offices and bans additional initiatives.
As a result, LGBTQ-focused offices that provided healthcare, community-focused programming and counseling, as well as other essential programs, shuttered their official university operations by the end of last year.
