2021 is only half way through and it’s already proven to be a record-breaking year for anti-transgender legislation. The 117 bills introduced in state legislatures this year alone is the highest amount in U.S. history, and already double what it was last year, increasingly targeting the transgender community. These bills impact a variety of lives within the community, ranging from youth sports to medical care. A majority of this legislation disproportionally affects transgender youth, a group that researchers and medical professionals warn is already "susceptible to high rates of suicide and depression,” according to the Human Rights Campaign.
To be true allies to the transgender community, we must educate ourselves on the very legislations being passed against them.
QUICK LINKS:
- Bans On Participation In Same-Gender Youth Sports
- Bans On Gender-Affirming Health Care for Minors
- Curriculum Bans, ID Restrictions, and Other Legislation
- The Future Outcome
Bans On Participation In Same-Gender Youth Sports
Same-gender sports is an area in which participation bans have been implemented across the country. Thirty one states have introduced bills directly targeting transgender athletes, banning them from participating in sports related to their gender identities. Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi have already signed bills into law this year. The reasoning? Lawmakers claim that transgender girls have an “unfair advantage” over their fellow athletes, although there has been no evidence supporting their claim. Additionally, many of these bills propose invasive testing: including, genital inspections of children; clearly violating privacy and promoting transphobic behavior.
Bans On Gender-Affirming Health Care For Minors
People who are transgender often experience significant health disparities and may require medical intervention as part of their care. Yet, gender-affirming health care bans have been sweeping across the country. Twenty states have introduced bills that prohibit or impede the administration of gender-affirming therapy to minors. A bill in Alabama was recently introduced that would make it a felony for medical providers to provide transition-related care to transgender minors.
Curriculum Bans, ID Restrictions and Other Legislation
Several states across the United States have introduced anti-transgender bills that target ID restriction, education, and civil rights protections. For example, a bill proposed in Iowa requires that parents give written consent for teachers to discuss gender identity while their children are present in the classroom; another stipulates that any curriculum that includes gender identity must include "the potential harm and adverse outcomes of social and medical gender interventions."
Despite many of these bills not passing through the committee stage, the transgender community, and transgender youth in particular, will likely feel the emotional and mental toll of seeing this anti-transgender movement gain steam across the country.
Further Readings
Legislation Impacting LGBT Rights: ACLU
A Record Breaking Year for Anti-Transgender Legislation: CNN
Anti-Transgender Legislation Activist Roundtable: Elle Magazine
