The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed on Tuesday that transgender Texans will no longer be able to change the sex on their birth certificates to reflect their gender identity, a ban that comes just weeks after the state halted Texans from changing the sex listed on driver’s licenses or state-issued IDs — even by court […]
Author Archives: Olivia Messer
Olivia Messer is editor-in-chief of The Barbed Wire. Her decade-long, dogged investigative work on the Texas Legislature has repeatedly exposed a culture of sexual abuse and harassment, sending bipartisan shockwaves through the state and leading to significant reforms. (Keep sending her tips: olivia@thebarbedwire.com.)
Olivia grew up in Houston, then cut her teeth as a local crime reporter for The Waco Tribune-Herald before moving to New York, where she wrote for The Daily Beast’s award-winning Cheat Sheet newsletter and then national news desk. She is now based in Austin and has published work in Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, Slate, Texas Monthly, and Texas Observer. Tina Brown once called her “meticulous,” and Barbara Bush once read to her elementary school class. Her forthcoming novel — about a journalist losing her grip on reality — is called Something’s Wrong With the Girls and will be published by Rare Bird.
Posted inNews
Ken Paxton Is Suing the State Fair of Texas
Attorney General Ken Paxton did the unthinkable on Thursday, suing the nonprofit State Fair of Texas over its plans to ban most attendees from bringing firearms to its beloved event, The Dallas Morning News reported. Paxton filed the suit in Dallas County District Court, targeting the fair, the city itself, and the interim City Manager […]
Posted inCulture
A Summer of Albino Raccoons, Mammoth Bones, and Stinging Fireworms
It’s already been a fun year for weird, terrifying, and charming animal news in Texas. Last week, six golden retriever puppies were adopted within hours of being found on a remote part of the beach in Nueces County. And in the same corner of the state, I’m very sorry to tell you that fireworms have […]
Posted inOpinion
Are You There, Texas? It’s Me, Olivia.
Welcome to The Barbed Wire. If you’re reading this and live in Texas — or used to live in Texas or care about Texas — you’re in the right place. Here’s what we’re offering: We would like to make you laugh and tell you hard stories. We want to inform, to engage, and to help you […]