LGBTQ+ Groups Warn Anti-Transgender Laws Proposed Across US Are Dangerous
Published
2021 has seen more than 80 anti-transgender bills introduced in the US; LGBTQ+ groups have described these laws as ‘dangerous’.
Their comments come in the wake of the 82nd anti-transgender law being introduced so far in 2021, compared to 79 in total over the course of 2020, according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
The matters being covered across several states’ bills include banning transgender women and girls from joining sports teams that correspond with their gender identity, as well as restricting young transgender people’s access to health care services.
These bills come in spite of President Joe Biden’s executive order making it illegal to for federal agencies to discriminate against someone for their sexual orientation and gender identity.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 28 states in total are considering anti-trans bills and, while not all of them will become law, the likes of South Dakota and Mississippi are some of the most recent states to pass bills stopping transgender women and girls competing in women’s sports.
Discussing the concerning rise in anti-trans bills, Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLU, told CNN:
This has been a significant part of my work at the ACLU for the past six years and I’ve never seen anything like this. There have never been this many bills targeting trans youth voted out of committee and then making it to the floor.
‘There have been many existential threats to trans existence, but there’s something uniquely dangerous about what’s going on right at this moment with the combination of the sports bills and the health care bills,’ he continued. ‘I think the impulse underlying both is to try to establish governmental policy that it’s harmful to be trans.’
Earlier this month, South Carolina and Tennessee filed anti-transgender medical care bans.
South Carolina’s bill named the ‘South Carolina Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act’ aims to ‘prohibit the performance of a medical procedure or the prescription of issuance of medication, upon to to a minor, that is intended to alter the appearance of the minor’s gender or delay puberty, with exceptions; to create criminal penalties; and for other purposes.’
HRC President Alphonso David said of these recent bills:
These bills are not addressing any real problem, and they’re not being requested by constituents. Rather, this effort is being driven by national far-right organizations attempting to score political points by sowing fear and hate.
He continued, ‘What they don’t understand is opposing equality is highly unpopular — even among Trump voters — and states that pass legislation that attacks our community will face severe economic, legal, and reputational harm.’
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
Topics: News, Healthcare, LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ Rights, Now, Sports, transgender, US News, Women
