In 2019, then state Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, turned heads with his comments saying he did not want to continue attacking the gay community. As House speaker, however, some say he has not been forceful enough in defending transgender Texans from similar attacks. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Dade Phelan, a Republican state representative from conservative southeast Texas, turned heads in 2019 when he said publicly that he was “done talking about bashing on the gay community” in the Legislature, session after session.