TRANS FORMATIONS PROJECT NEWSLETTER ∙ 10/14/22
Hello everyone! At time of writing, it is October 14th. As with every week, it’s time for another weekly wrap up of things that are happening with laws and policies affecting trans people in the U.S.
As a reminder, if you are concerned about ongoing efforts rollback trans youth rights in schools in Virginia, there’s some easy actions you can take.First, one thing you can do is submit a public comment on Youngkin’s policy: it’s a straightforward action that can send a loud message. The advocacy group Equality Virginia also maintains a social media toolkit you can peruse! While initially the comments were overwhelmingly in opposition to the policy, many of the more recent comments appear to be supportive of the transphobic policy of dubious legality–so make sure you don’t let them eat up all the airspace!
The Thing(s) We Won This Week
The biggest thing we won this week, bar none, is that the Ohio Board of Education hearings, after being stuffed with opponents to its proposed policy, delayed voting on its changed rules that would have (among other things) forced the outing of trans students, functioned as a bathroom bill, and explicitly denied transgender identity by codifying biological sex as an immutable trait. As such, the resolution is now being reassigned to committee, where it may die outright without a vote–or it may rear its ugly head again later this year or in 2023. This isn’t over yet–but it is a win.
Another win–albeit a very small one–is that after the libelous coverage of a trans volleyball player from Vermont being bullied by other students which instead quoted the bullies, falsely accusing the trans player of wrongdoing, has been quietly removed from the news website that originally reported it. The school in question, and her volleyball team, have had a decisive outpouring of support for her.
What the Heck Happened This Week?!
New legislation has begun to be introduced across the country–very little of it good.
Most notably, a bill has emerged in Michigan (HB6454) that would, as well as forcibly detransitioning trans teens in the state, categorize assisting a child’s transition in any way as child abuse and render said “abuse” punishable by life in prison–making Idaho’s previous attempt at such a bill look positively moderate by comparison. The bill in question is sponsored by Republican representatives Ryan Berman, Steve Carra, Luke Meerman, Beau LaFave, and Steven Marino. Michigan Republicans (including Meerman) are also advancing a bill (HB6452) covering sex education and mandating abstinence-only sex education that prohibits discussions of contraception.
New Jersey Republicans have also put forward a similar, if less extreme, bill (S3076) that would also function to forcibly detransition trans teens and ban gender affirming care.
Meanwhile, in Florida, mixed news has emerged. Clinton-appointed federal Judge Robert Hinkle of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida has denied a request to strike down Florida Health’s rule that Medicaid cannot cover gender affirming care. However, Hinkle is allowing the case to continue, and his stated reason for not issuing an injunction is precedent set from a ruling in 1980–and expressed deep skepticism about the quality of evidence offered by Florida Health.
Judge Hinkle has also stated that, “How do you support a process that goes out and finds five” doctors who “are decidedly out of the mainstream, no one in the mainstream…You do scratch your head when that’s the best you can do.”
What is less ambiguous in Florida is an alteration to its infamous “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill that allows for outright stripping the certification of teachers for being gay or trans, in effect. While this is not the explicit wording of the policy, in practice, some have argued that this would be the effect. Public comments can be submitted here.
And with that, let’s see what next week brings.