Trans Formations Project ∙ 1/27/23
Howdy readers! It’s Friday, January 27th. We’ve got a lot of bills to cover this week, with a sprinkle of good news.
If you want to keep up with legislative updates throughout the week, be sure to connect with us on social media. We also recently launched a daily stream where Trans Formations Project content creator Tabbytha does a daily breakdown of legislative updates. Be sure to tune in tonight, and every weekday, at 6 pm eastern time at twitch.tv/thetransformationsproject.
A few action items to note for the upcoming week:
As we mentioned last week, there are two pieces of pro-trans legislation in Maryland this legislative session, The Trans Health Equity Act (THEA) and the Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act (TRAD Act). You can sign on to the letter here and let Maryland legislators know that you support these bills.
There is still time to submit public comments to the Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathy in opposition to their proposed "standards of care" which would ban gender-affirming healthcare for youth in Florida. You can join Equality Florida and other community partners at the hearing on Friday, February 10th from 1 to 5 pm in Tallahassee, Florida. You can RSVP to attend the hearing here. Equality Florida and the HRC are also hosting a pre-meeting virtual messaging training which you can register for here. If you are unable to attend the hearing in person, written public comments can be submitted via email to BOMPublicComment@flhealth.gov up until February 7th at 5 PM EST.
Thanks to organizers with the Tennessee Equality Project, we have a list of action items for folks in Tennessee for next week. There are multiple healthcare and drag ban bills being heard next week. Here you can find information on how to email members of the House and Senate, as well as hearings to attend next week.
The Thing(s) We Won
Utah HB132, a healthcare ban for minors, failed its vote in the House Health and Human Services Committee and will not progress to the House floor. This is the first time an anti-trans healthcare bill has been defeated this year! While a victory, a larger healthcare ban for minors, Utah SB0016 passed its vote in committee and progressed to the House floor, so the fight in Utah is far from over.
Good news for trans students in Virginia this week! Virginia HB1434 died in the Early Childhood Education subcommittee by a unanimous 9-0 vote. This bill would have required a court order to update a student's name on any school record.
What the Heck Else Happened this Week?
The Trevor Project released devastating research showing the negative mental health impacts of the anti-trans legislative crisis in the U.S. According to their report, 86% of transgender and nonbinary youth say recent debates around anti-trans bills have negatively impacted their mental health. This is an important reminder that even when we defeat anti-trans legislation, the mere introduction of these bills has lasting impacts on our mental health. Be sure to consult with the resources listed at the bottom of the newsletter if you or someone you know needs support.
A quick (negative) spotlight on Florida, where multiple reports dropped this week about the effects of the anti-trans moral panic in schools. Teachers are being forced to remove classroom libraries, student athletes may have to provide menstrual data to schools, and LGBTQ+ parents are considering leaving the state.
First, updates on bill progression, including votes and hearings from this week:
Arkansas SB43, a drag ban which may effectively ban any Pride events in the state, passed in the Senate by a 29-6 vote. It is now with the House City, County and Local Affairs Committee.
Mississippi HB1125, a healthcare ban for minors, passed the House and was sent to the Senate. There are also multiple healthcare bills introduced and sent to committee in Mississippi this week, discussed below, marking a clear assault on trans rights in the state.
Montana SB99, a healthcare ban for minors, has a hearing on Friday at 8 am.
New Hampshire HB396, a sex definition bill, had a hearing on Thursday afternoon. Updates pending.
As we mentioned above, Utah SB0016 passed its vote in committee and progressed to the House floor. This bill is dangerously close to passing, needing only a House vote and governor’s signature.
Virginia sports ban trifecta SB1186, SB962, and SB911 were heard in the Public Education subcommittee on Thursday. Updates pending.
In Wyoming, the Senate voted in favor of WY SB117, a "parental rights" bill, and it is now with the state House.
Now, new legislation:
We saw record numbers of new bills introduced this week, organized below by bill type. Due to the sheer number, we are keeping the summaries brief. You can read more about these bills and track their progress using our legislative tracker at transformationsproject.org. We also regularly post updates across our social media accounts.
Healthcare Bills. Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender affirming care saves lives. Denying access will cause harm. Providers are faced with criminal charges, parents are threatened with child abuse charges, and intersex children are typically exempted.
Hawai'i HB891 was introduced. This is a healthcare ban for minors.
We have quite a few bills out of Mississippi. Mississippi HB1258 was introduced last week and sent to the House Public Health and Human Services Committee this week. This is an under 21 healthcare ban.
Mississippi SB2770, also a healthcare ban for minors, was also introduced last week and sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee this week.
Mississippi SB2861 and Mississippi SB2864 were both sent to the Senate Insurance Committee and focus on banning gender-affirming care coverage by insurance and Medicaid respectively.
Missouri HB916 was introduced and sent to the House General Laws Committee.
Texas HB1532, another bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors, was filed.
Wyoming SB144, a healthcare ban for minors, was introduced.
Birth Certificate Bills. Birth certificate bills try to make it harder for trans folks to have IDs that match their gender identity. They tend to force a male or female designation based upon sex assigned at birth. Some ban a non-binary “X” marker or require surgery to update a birth certificate.
Mississippi HB1144 and Mississippi SB2773 were both introduced last week and sent to the House Judiciary Committee this week. These bills are written under the false pretense of “defending Title IX” and are sex definition bills.
Tennessee HB0239 was assigned to the Civil Justice Subcommittee and had sponsors added this week. This bill defines sex assigned at birth, and specifies "original birth certificate" to disregard trans people's updated birth certificates.
Schooling/Parental Rights Bills. Schooling bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans. They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth.
Parental rights bills Mississippi SB2763 and Mississippi SB2764 were introduced last week and sent to the Senate Education Committee.
Tennessee SB0466, a forced misgendering bill, was introduced.
Virginia HB1707, a forced outing bill, was assigned to the House Education: K-12 Committee.
West Virginia HB3001 was introduced and sent to the House Education Committee. This bill’s stated purpose is to “protect school officials who misgender students,” even if the student has supportive and consenting parents.
Sports Bans. Most sports bills force schools to designate teams by sex assigned at birth. They are often one-sided and ban trans girls from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity. Some egregious bills even force invasive genital examinations on student athletes.
Colorado HB1098 was introduced and sent to the State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs committee. This marks the first anti-trans bill from Colorado this year.
Hawai'i HB508 and Hawai'i SB1429 were both introduced. These bills would both apply to K-12 and collegiate settings.
Maryland HB359 was introduced and sent to the House Ways and Means Committee. This is a carry over of MD HB575 from last session.
Tennessee HB0306 was introduced last week and assigned to the K-12 subcommittee this week.
Bathroom Bills. A bathroom bill denies access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity. They increase danger without making anyone any safer and have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills.
Idaho SB1016 was introduced last week and sent to the Senate State Affairs Committee this week.
Drag Bans. Drag bans restrict access for folks who are gender non-conforming in any way. They loosely define drag as any public performance with an “opposite gender expression,” as sexual in nature, and inappropriate for children. This also pushes trans individuals out of public spaces.
Nebraska's LB371 drag ban is back with an amendment filed. The amendment includes updated, expanded language which would include banning reading books if a person's gender expression differs from their sex assigned at birth.
An important closing reminder: This week, the Human Rights Campaign released their 2022 State Equality Index. As part of this report, they noted that less than 10% of anti-LGBTQ+ bills which were introduced last year actually passed into law. When we testify and show up, we can stop these bills from becoming laws. Let’s keep up the good fight for trans rights!
We know that staying up-to-date with anti-trans legislation may be distressing to our readers. If you or someone you know needs support, here are a few affirming resources that you can reach out to:
If you need support or are in crisis you can contact the Trans Lifeline hotline at (877) 565-8860. The Trans Lifeline is run by trans people, for trans people, and does not engage in non-consensual active rescue, meaning they will not call law enforcement without your consent.
You can connect with a Trevor Project crisis counselor via phone (1-866-488-7386), chat, or text (Text ‘START’ to 678-678) support. Note: This resource could utilize non-consensual active rescue, including law enforcement, 911, and first responders.
You can call the LGBT National Hotline at (888) 843-4564, or connect with a peer via chat. The LGBT National Help Center will NOT call other suicide hotlines, law enforcement, 911, or rescue services.
BlackLine is a BIPOC LGBTQ+ support line, run by BIPOC folks, for BIPOC folks. This resource does not involve law enforcement or state agencies. You can call 1 (800) 604-5841 to chat with a peer.