Anti-LGBTQIA+ Legislation
501 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been introduced in the United States during the 2023 legislative session. These include bills banning schools from teaching about LGBTQIA+ history, banning trans student athletes from participating in sports, and targeting access to medically-necessary health care for transgender people. Still other legislation seeks to limit the ability for individuals to update their gender information on legal documents and undermining or weakening non-discrimination laws by allowing businesses and even hospitals to turn away LGBTQIA+ people.
There are currently 9 pending anti-LGBTQIA+ bills in Michigan. These include legislation seeking to ban youth from accessing doctor-supported transgender-affirming healthcare; legislation allowing businesses to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ people based on deeply held religious beliefs; legislation banning transgender people from accessing public restrooms that align with their gender, and more.
While there has been a lot of positive progress for LGBTQIA+ people, the last three years have been the worst years on record for anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. In particular, LGBTQIA+ youth continue to be targeted by legislators making them more vulnerable to higher rates of suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.
How can you use your influence to educate and advocate?
TODAY’S CHALLENGE
Listen:
- Kendall Crawford, ‘It’s Specifically Cruel’: Multiple Anti-Trans Bills Considered In Tennessee, NPR (May 27, 2021). [3 minute listen, transcript]
Read:
- Annette Choi, Record Number of Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Been Introduced This Year. CNN Politics, (April 6, 2023). [4 minute read]
- Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills that are Impacting Children, Families and Schools. ADL. (April 27, 2023). [8 minute read]
Watch:
- Parents concerned as new laws target transgender children, PBS NewsHour (March 1, 2023). [11 minute video]
Engage:
- Review the ACLU’s map tracking 501 anti-LGBTQ bills. What’s happening in your state? How would these bills impact LGBTQIA+ people in your community?
Discuss:
- What conversations have you heard among your family, friends, and/or community about anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation? What tools do you have to be curious, ask questions, or educate those around you about the impact of these bills? How might you build your toolkit to engage in these conversations?
- Consider the broader implication of not being able to access a restroom when going out. Does a person really have access to public life? How would you navigate your day-to-day if you were unsure of having access to a restroom when going out?