Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills In The U.S.A. In 2023 Already Surpassed Amount Proposed In Entirety Of 2022
February 14, 2023As of February 13 this year, 320 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed by state legislatures, exceeding the 315 put forward in the entirety of 2022.
Queer researcher Allison Chapman helps compile the LGBTQ+ Legislative Tracking spreadsheet, and recently called attention to the unmatched milestone on Twitter.
“We are in truly unprecedented times,” she wrote.
According to ‘Advocate Channel’, trans people were the primary target of the majority of the laws, with over 90 restricting or banning gender-affirming care. Another large percentage restricted discussion of LGBTQ+ identities in classrooms, and would force educators to out queer students to their guardians.
Only 107 pro-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed, with the rate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills being filed at a faster rate than in January of 2023, according to statement from GLAAD. Oklahoma has proposed the most bills, with Missouri and Texas close behind.
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Tennessee has also proposed several restrictions on gender-affirming care, with Chris Sanders, Executive Director of the Tennessee Equality Project, saying that the laws “would hurt countless LGBTQ youth and families in our state.”
“Lawmakers need to focus on the real issues plaguing our state, not perpetuate myths and distractions around drag performances and basic healthcare access for transgender people,” he said. “We need more acceptance and understanding for our local communities in Tennessee, not less.”
Though only 29 bills became law in 2022, chief executive of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellis, said that “regardless of whether the bills advance or not, they will have a detrimental effect, particularly on LGBTQ youth.”
“We need every lawmaker and voter to speak up in support of LGBTQ people and in support of ensuring protections against discrimination, so we can all feel safe and free,” Ellis wrote.
In his state of the union address, President Biden called on congress to pass the Equality Act, which would prevent discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. He reiterated the sentiment in a tweet over the weekend.
“Let’s pass the bipartisan Equality Act to ensure LGBTQI+ Americans – especially transgender young people – can live with safety and dignity,” Biden said.
Read related myGwork articles here:
Less Than 10% Of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Proposed In The U.S.A. In 2022 Actually Passed
Over 100 Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Introduced In The US In 2023
Biden Signs Executive Order To Fight Anti-LGBTQ+ State Bills