Transgender individuals in various states are increasingly alarmed by the number of measures introduced in state legislatures this year seeking to restrict LGBTQ rights.
At least 385 bills have been introduced nationwide as of March 7, according to data compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union. This number has already surpassed last year’s total of 306, according to the organization’s data.
The proposed bills cover a wide range of policies, including some that seek to prevent transgender individuals from competing in sports teams or using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
Young people identifying as transgender represent a small fraction of youth in the United States – the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in a 2019 study that less than 2% of high school students identify as transgender.
Health professionals believe that the proposed bills will further hinder transgender children, a group already struggling with high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Oklahoma is one of the states with the most proposed legislation aimed at LGBTQ individuals (15 so far, according to the ACLU).
Last week, House Bill 2177 advanced to the state Senate after passing the House by a vote of 80 to 18. The measure prohibits certain gender-affirming medical care, such as puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries for minors under 18, and prevents health insurance from covering medical care related to gender affirmation for anyone, regardless of age.
Last year, the state’s governor, Kevin Stitt (R), signed laws requiring public school students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to the sex listed on their birth certificates, prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in sports teams consistent with their gender identity, and banning birth certificates from containing the term non-binary.
Florida is another state that has been taking steps to restrict medical care related to gender affirmation. The state’s Department of Health released new guidelines last year discouraging such care for children and adolescents.
Governor DeSantis (R) signed a measure last year that prohibits certain instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom.
Now, the government is being accused of requesting information from schools about “the number of individuals” – including age – who have received prescriptions for puberty blockers, hormones, and have undergone medical procedures as part of their care.
President Joe Biden criticized Florida’s initiative and those of other states. He called efforts to restrict transgender rights “almost sinful” in an interview released on Monday (14) by the Daily Show. He further suggested that federal laws should be passed to protect these rights across all states.
“What is happening in Florida is, as my mother would say, almost sinful. It is simply terrible what they are doing,” Biden said.
Source: CNN