Attor­ney Gen­er­al Ken Pax­ton Sues City of Den­ton for Allow­ing Grown Men in Chang­ing Rooms with Texas Chil­dren and Women at Event Host­ed at a Pub­licly Owned Swim­ming Pool

Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the City of Denton and city officials to prevent the creation of multiple-occupancy “gender-neutral” changing rooms at a publicly owned, child-friendly swimming pool. The lawsuit comes ahead of a June 7, 2026 event dubbed “Big Gay Swim Day,” organized by two nonprofit groups—PRIDENTON and OUTreach Denton—at the Quakertown Civic Center (the “Center”). 

The City of Denton owns and controls the Quakertown Civic Center. The Center includes a public-access swimming pool and sex-specific multiple-occupancy changing rooms. The Quakertown Civic Center Pool is designed and advertised as a child-friendly facility. The two nonprofit groups rented the Center for an event that is advertised as “Big Gay Swim Day” and is open to “all ages” of the general public. Event organizers have publicly advertised that “gender-neutral changing rooms”—which would allow men to use the same changing rooms as women and kids—will be available on-site during the event. This is in clear violation of Texas law. 

The Texas Women’s Privacy Act, also known as Senate Bill 8, mandates that publicly owned “private spaces” be designated on the basis of biological sex. The law further requires political subdivisions, including municipalities, to take “every reasonable step” to ensure that individuals of the opposite sex do not enter spaces designated for the other sex. A gender-neutral changing room accommodating multiple occupants at once is expressly prohibited under the law. 

Despite receiving written notice of the planned violation on May 19, 2026, the City of Denton failed to take any corrective action or provide assurances that the Center’s changing rooms would be used in accordance with their lawful sex-specific designations. 

“Cities cannot disregard Texas law by allowing men to change with young kids in spaces designated for women,” said Attorney General Paxton. “The City of Denton had an opportunity to prevent this violation and chose to do nothing. That dereliction of duty will not stand, and I will ensure that Texas cities follow our state’s laws to protect women and children from men invading their spaces.” 

The lawsuit seeks to prevent the unlawful event from proceeding as planned on June 7 and requests temporary and permanent injunctive relief barring the City of Denton from permitting future violations of the Texas Women’s Privacy Act at its facilities.  

To read the lawsuit, click here.