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He had little hope that 2019 would be different from that of the Republican-controlled legislature. But with more headlines drawing attention to violence against transgender people, it was more urgent than ever to try, he said.
"If something goes wrong, you have to keep trying to do it until it's done," he said. "By tabling these bills over the years, people with pro-LGBTQ rights have something to organize."
Now that another transgender woman has been found dead in Dallas – the latest in a series of unresolved cases involving transgender victims -, human rights advocates say see a link of cause and effect between violence and the inertia of the elected and the forces of the order.
But action – or inaction – prompt the reactionsColeman said. And that's what LGBTQ advocates say they are currently seeing in Dallas.
Committee members did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
Two community meetings in one night
Community members chose two meetings on Thursday night: one organized by the Dallas police and another convened by members of the black transgender community in Dallas.
His death is the last sign that transgender people can not rely solely on the authorities for their safety or protection, he said.
"We are spending our time and energy building the LGBTQ community as a whole to support the lives of transgender people because the justice system and the criminal justice system are lacking."
On Wednesday, the black transgender community gathered in camera to discuss their needs, Carter said.
On Thursday, representatives of a larger coalition of LGBTQ groups from Dallas crowded into a free office space to listen and share ideas.
"After I buried Muhlaysia, I looked into the coffin and it was the first time I imagined and thought it could be me," said BTAC co-organizer Camarion Anderson at the crowd.
"I think we are in a position to come together as a community to fight some things that are neglected, and we need to find ways to unite."
What the black transgender community needs to feel safe
Scribbled notes on a whiteboard under the title "Black Trans Emergency Community Meeting" guided the conversation.
Medical resources and transgender-friendly housing, including counseling services, emerged as the main short-term needs, as did jobs and changes in gender markers on identity documents.
One after the other, volunteers offered their help.
Reverend Neil G Cazares-Thomas, Senior Pastor of Hope Cathedral, where Booker's funeral was held, provided housing for transgender youth.
Another person is committed to creating a private Facebook group offering self-defense and shooting classes in response to comments that more transgender people are arming themselves to stay safe.
Mark Newman of Equality Texas has proposed Lyft codes of up to $ 10, although one audience member said that drivers could pose a threat.
The meeting lasted nearly two hours, but this is only the beginning, said co-organizer Niecee X of the Black Women's Defense League.
"I feel empowered as a community to start treating our problems as a collective."
The "protocol" of public mourning
Booker's assault, followed by his assassination, provoked a cycle of vigorous gatherings, vigils and condemnations of the violence that struck him.
Brown said such actions do not allow transgender people to take concrete steps to protect them, such as updating the state's law on hate crimes to include the law. gender identity in the list of protected classes.
"It's starting to look like a protocol to pacify the community with a city hall, a few meetings, a few rallies," he said. "But at the end of the day, we're back where we started."
At a press conference that announced Monday the death of Lindsey, Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé Hall emphasized the department's commitment to resolving cases despite limited resources. She sought advice from the public and said that she had contacted the FBI to find out whether charges of hate crimes by the federal government were justified.
"We are actively and aggressively investigating this case and we have contacted our federal partners to assist them in these efforts."
What would the law on hate crimes change?
Laws take different forms, but often they introduce heavier penalties for bias-motivated crimes.
A change in the state hate crimes law would send the message that Texas lawmakers value transgender lives, said Leslie McMurray, Education and Defense Coordinator. Transgender for the LGBTQ Resource Center in Dallas.
She was among those who testified in favor of Coleman's bill. And she attended the funeral of Booker, where she was horrified to hear proclamation after proclamation of elected officials condemning the death of Booker.
"How many people must die before doing anything?" she says. "There are political messages that are sent that transgender lives do not matter."
These messages do not just come from Texas, she said. She spoke of Trump's administration policies, including the banning of military service for new transgender recruits and the repeal of anti-discrimination protections for the transgender community in the areas of health and social housing. .
Why transgender people are vulnerable to violence
These protections would help remove the barriers that make transgender people vulnerable to violence, said Ginger McMurray, director of the Dallas Chapter of Trans-Cendence International Support Group.
Although it is not clear that these factors are involved in the cases of Booker, Lindsey or other unsolved homicides, she stated that their deaths should be a reminder to the world of possible political solutions to facilitate the lives of transgender people.
"We see and hear a lot when a crime is committed, but apart from that, it's the crickets," she said. "It's not just about finding who did it and preventing it from happening again, but also about providing resources and opportunities for us to live in peace."
And after?
Texas lawmakers will meet again for the legislative session in two years. And when they do, Coleman announced his intention to re-introduce the bill to amend the state's law on hate crimes.
He finds that the normalization of the lives of transgender people in America is gaining ground, and he is hopeful for the future.
"I have the impression that if you do nothing, you accept people who do not understand, and as the generations pass by, the level of understanding increases."
CNN's LaRell Reynolds in Dallas and Emanuella Grinberg wrote and told this story in Atlanta.
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