Adrian Ashford

A timeline: How Texas’ laws on transgender identity have changed over a decade Here are seven key turning points for discussion and regulation of transgender identity in Texas.

Texas policy towards trans people has changed a lot in the last decade. Read a timeline of major turning points here. @dallasnews.com www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

Why many Texas Republican leaders are concerned about gender transitions Many of Texas’ Republican leaders say they’re concerned about people changing their bodies as part of a gender transition.

I also talked to D-FW lawmakers who have introduced bills recently related to gender transition. They said adhering to the Christian belief that there are only two genders is important for a healthy society. @dallasnews.com www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

We surveyed 90 trans Texans. Most said they’re living in fear and weighing a move Respondents said anti-trans policies have complicated their sense of home in Texas and pushed them to consider leaving the state.

Want to learn more about trans Texans? We surveyed 90 of them to learn how they're dealing with an increasingly-hostile political climate. Almost everyone said they're feeling more anxious and less safe in public. @dallasnews.com www.dallasnews.com/news/politic...

Trial begins for man facing up to 10 years in prison for anti-Israel graffiti on church The trial of Raunaq Alam, accused of a hate crime for allegedly spray-painting anti-Israel graffiti on the wall of Uncommon Church, began this week in a...

Raunaq Alam's hate crime trial began this week in a Tarrant County courtroom packed with pro-Palestine activists and community members. He is facing up to 10 years in prison for allegedly spray-painting "F— Israel" on the wall of a church in Euless. @dallasnews.com
www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

D-FW churches have been rocked by a year of abuse scandals. Is it more than a coincidence? As the Dallas area grapples with a slew of abuse allegations in evangelical, Protestant churches, The News talked to lawyers, researchers and therapists to...

Since last June, a surprising number of D-FW churches have weathered a scandal related to sexual abuse or misconduct. Can churches learn from this year of reckoning? @dallasnews.com www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

After narrow key votes, Southern Baptists leave Dallas with bylaws unchanged A constitutional ban on women pastors and a proposal to abolish a public policy agency accused of compromising with leftists narrowly failed on the last day...

Wednesday ended a little anticlimactically — the SBC narrowly voted against big proposals on women pastors and the group's public policy arm. We talked with Megan Basham and Beth Barr, who gave context on why they believed the close margins in those votes mattered. www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

Southern Baptists endorse overturning Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage The Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday endorsed overturning the 10-year-old Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage.

Tuesday saw one of the biggest headlines (for secular media, in particular) this year. Our story features an in-depth convo I had with God and the Transgender Debate author Andrew T. Walker, who shared more insight into the SBC's beliefs about gender dysphoria. www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

Southern Baptist Convention panel grapples with lessons from abuse crisis To address the problem of abuse, speakers at a Monday Southern Baptist Convention panel urged increased education about abuse and training on how to respond...

On Monday, Juan and I covered a panel on abuse prevention that began with the question: "Why do we have to keep talking about this?" Panelists shared why they believe conversation about abuse should still matter to the church. www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

First Baptist Dallas event celebrates growing community of Hispanic Baptists in SBC The First Baptist Church Dallas hosted Celebración Hispana, a space for Spanish speakers to share their faith.

On the official first day of the annual meeting,
@mariaramos.bsky.social and Smiley went to a special gathering for Hispanic Baptists at downtown's First Baptist Dallas — which SBC President Clint Pressley last year called the SBC's "Notre Dame." www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

Car washes, homeless outreach, evangelism: Crossover kicks off Southern Baptist Convention Crossover joined Southern Baptists from D-FW and around the country for evangelism and service events in the community.

Next, Shafkat and I got to watch Southern Baptists doing what they'll tell you they do best — evangelism. We shadowed a free car wash event in Fort Worth and saw volunteers from around the country serve unhoused people at a Southern Dallas church. www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

With fewer dissenting voices, Southern Baptists return to Dallas ready to move on The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center is expecting 18,000 to 20,000 visitors at this year’s Southern Baptist Convention, according to Downtown Dallas Inc.

For our preview ahead of the convention, we focused on what has and hasn't changed since the last time Southern Baptists met in Dallas. They last gathered here for their 2018 annual meeting, in the shadow of a burgeoning sex abuse crisis. www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

I'm so grateful to the people who poured their talent and passion into this coverage. Big thanks to reporters
Matt Kyle and @mariaramos.bsky.social, to our fantastic photographers Azul Sordo, Smiley Pool, Tom Fox, Shafkat Anowar and Juan Figueroa, and to the incomparable
@tomthuang.bsky.social.

Our team @dallasnews.com worked hard to publish a new (front-page!) story every day of the June 8-11 Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Dallas this year. Here's a round-up — and if you have been, thanks for following our work.

‘Highly inappropriate relationship’: Robert Morris responds to abuse allegations in filing Robert Morris, in a new court filing written by his attorneys, publicly responded to Cindy Clemishire’s sexual abuse allegations and said he had a “highly...

Gateway Church founder Robert Morris, in a new court filing written by his attorneys, publicly responded to Cindy Clemishire’s sexual abuse allegations and said he had a “highly inappropriate relationship” with her.

Are you a transgender Texan? We want to hear from you Texas is home to about 93,000 transgender adults who make up less than 0.5% of the state’s population, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of...

My good friend Adrian is part of a project at the Dallas Morning News surveying transgender Texans' mental health after the onslaught of bills this legislative session. If that's you, go take this survey:

www.dallasnews.com/news/2025/05...

Muslim-centric EPIC City draws Collin County meeting ire Collin County officials on Monday held an hours-long public hearing on the EPIC City development, which would be located outside Josephine.

No dirt has moved on a planned Muslim-centric neighborhood northeast of Dallas. But Collin County officials held an hourslong public hearing yesterday on the development, called EPIC City. @dallasnews.com
www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...

‘To give people hope’: Plano doctor journeyed to Gaza on a medical mission As violence resumes in Gaza, a Plano doctor checks for news on the hospital where he spent two weeks performing emergency amputations.

Since violence resumed in Gaza, Dr. Ikram has been checking each morning for news on the hospital where he spent two weeks performing emergency amputations in January. @dallasnews.com www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2...