Ahead of elections in hostile Texas, someone is impersonating trans advocates — by text and now by mail

A transgender rights advocacy group in Texas says it is being impersonated in a campaign mailing unsolicited flyers about transgender identity to households across the state, prompting threats against its staff.

The Transgender Education Network, which focuses on LGBTQ+ education and policy advocacy, said Tuesday that it does not know who is behind the campaign and is pursuing legal action.

Related: Texas trans rights group says text message impersonation campaign sparked hate

“We have been made aware of physical mailers and brochures currently being distributed with branding similar to our own. TENT did not author, authorize, approve, or distribute these materials,” the organization wrote in an Instagram post Saturday. “These instances will not shake our commitment to the dignity and humanity of trans youth, trans Texans, their families, and their loved ones.”

Related: A GOP super PAC twists a Texas adult’s transition story to scare Ohio voters with an ad full of lies

The mail campaign, sent by a dark money group created two weeks ago in Wyoming, comes just days after the organization warned that it was being impersonated in a text campaign targeting Texas phone numbers, with messages purporting to come from the group sent on October 11 and 13. The organization said it issued a subpoena to messaging company Peerless Network on October 14 and urged it to block further messages falsely presented as its communications.

The flyers and text messages included a mix of the organization's own materials and outside materials about transgender identity that were falsely attributed to the group, according to the organization.

The flyers featured the organization’s branding under the title “Texas Transgender Student Union” and were reported in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio metropolitan areas, the organization wrote in an email statement shared with The Advocate on Tuesday.

The organization said the unsolicited materials spurred a wave of online hate directed at the group.

“TENT has been met with an onslaught of hate and threats of violence via our social media and email channels,” the organization wrote. “Our address was doxxed, and photos of our staff were included in the malicious mailing materials. Online, a graphic is being circulated with images of two of our senior staff along with our board chair.”

In its Tuesday statement, the organization said it was pursuing legal action over the alleged impersonation and would share further updates. It did not specify what legal action it planned to take.

The group said it would continue advocating for LGBTQ+ Texans.

“We are standing strong in our unwavering commitment to the trans community. Texas is our home and we will not cower. Trans Texans continue to be an example of courage and tenacity in the face of hate,” the organization wrote Tuesday. “We are determined to get to the bottom of who is behind these malicious attacks. We will not waver from our commitment to the safety and well being of all trans Texans and that includes pursuing any and all legal action within our reach.”