On President Biden’s first day in office he signed an executive order stating that everyone should “receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity of sexual orientation” displaying anti-discrimination laws and protecting the LGBTQIA+ community. However, currently there are approximately 70 and counting anti-trans bills all of which are a threat to take away trans people’s basic human rights. Some of the recent increase in-state sponsored anti-transgender bills (if passed) would take away their right to use bathrooms, participate in school sports and prevent them from receiving healthcare consistent with the gender they identify as.
- MISSISSIPI
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The Mississippi’s governor recently announced their anti-trans bill would prevent transgender girls and women from participating in school sports because the purpose is to promote fairness in women’s sports. Last year the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) debunked these myths and explained that including trans women athletes is not an unfair advantage when cisgender women have consistently proved that they perform as well or better than transgender competitiors. Many have expressed that these bills imply that trangender women are not “real women” simply because their gender may not match their sex assignment which is absurd in my opinion because they definitely are real women despite what they were assigned at birth.
- ALABAMA
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Alabama’s state bill “The Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act” makes it a felony to provide gender-affirming healthcare to transgender people. It also requires school staff to disclose whether a child is transgender or questioning their identity to a guardian forcibly outing the transgender youth. This damages the mental health of our transgender youth and it is a serious problem which we must fight for.
- ARKANSAS
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Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson recently signed for a bill giving medical providers the right to refuse treatment to LGBTQIA+ patients and others based on religious, moral, or ethical objections. This bill would apply to counseling and therapy, general medicine, hormones, affirming care, ambulance, EMT care and insurance coverage. With 56% lesbian, gay or bisexual and 70% of transgender/gender-nonconforming respondents reported that they already experience medical determination.
The three bills listed above are just a small percentage of many that are hoping to get passed threatening similar rights. These bills were not created to “protect” transgender youth and instead it harms their mental health greatly. The bills deny the trans youth of compassion, understanding, and rights that they deserve and they need our help. You can help by getting to know the transgender youth, they need to be heard and supported and the GenderCool Project showcases transgender youth and their parents to allow you to get to know who they are. American Civil Liberties Union ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign are a great way to keep up to date with the anti-transgender bills being introduced in each state. If your state is one with anti-transgender bills call your state representative and email their offices telling them you want to vote “NO” to any bill that would exclude transgender youth from sports or criminalize healthcare for trans youth. You can also help by demanding LGBTQIA+ inclusivity training and anti-discrimination policies by asking your school if they’ve been trained and if all classrooms are safe and inclusive. Donating to transgender led organizations such as Trans Lifeline (which offers emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis), Sylvia Rivera Law Project and The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (offers legal services as well as support to trans people of color who need to be defended and product) and The Trevor Project (a crisis hotline for LGBTQ youth under 25 years old).