Recently over 100 bills have been made in the US targeting the members of the LGBTQ+ community. A majority of these bills have focused on transgender youth.    

HCR reports that there have been many laws regarding LGBTQ+ people that have successfully passed; 13  for banning gender-affirming care, 3 for the requirement or allowing of misgendering students, 2 banning drag performances, 3 laws that make a license to discriminate, and 2 class censoring curriculums.    

There is a surplus of new laws being introduced in America. On top of that the laws concern a multitude of issues.

Revealed by HCR, there has been more than 125 bills passed that ban trans youth from needed healthcare. On top of that, 30 “Bathroom Bills” have been passed as well.

Many of the bills that have been affecting trans youth are related to their education. 

Reported by HCR there are now 42 bills proposed that prevent trans and non-binary youth from receiving life saving gender affirming care. In addition, 70 curriculum censorship bills were proposed that ban teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ issues or other marginalized communities in the classroom.

Kansas has also been creating laws affecting trans students.

HCR reveals that Kansas has adopted some new laws that define gender and define “sex,” and forbids trans students from using accommodations that match their gender on overnight trips.

Strict laws have been made in Kansas, and Kansas is even going to make legal definitions for gender.

Informed by HCR Kansas state legislation failed to override a veto by the governor on a bill that would prevent transgender youth from receiving gender affirming care.

Kansas does not appear to be done with these new laws, and no one knows what will come next.

CNN informs that these laws are especially bad considering the increase in violence against trans people. ¼ trans people have been physically attacked (the statistic is even higher for trans poc).

These laws may or may not have a connection with the rise of hate crimes and overall violence in the states. Now LGBTQ+ persons have to protect themselves against people and the law.

Gender-affirming health care, as defined by House.MN.Gov, can cover social and medical assistance to affirm someone’s gender identity. This would include puberty blockers, voice therapy, and surgical interventions.

Many may struggle exactly to define what gender-affirming care is and why it’s important. What many fail to realize is that while transgender people depend on these types of healthcare, other groups do as well including both cisgender and intersex people.

Representative Leigh Finke tells House.MN.Gov that “Gender-affirming care is healthcare,” to a conference.

Many have come out to inform the importance of gender-affirming healthcare. The majority of Americans do not understand the extent to how necessary these treatments are and do not understand the dire consequences of these bans.

Harvard educates that gender-affirming care is a must and does have life-saving benefits. The surgeries reduce phycological distress by 42%, reduce suicidal ideation by 44%, and reduce smoking and tobacco use by 35%.

Gender-affirming care is such an important aspect of healthcare, and the banning of any type of healthcare has serious consequences. Many experts predict suicide rates will sky-rocket due to the banning of this necessary healthcare.

CTV News uncovers that more than 130,000 people have gone to an e-petition and signed it which calls Canada to give trans and non-binary people the ability to claim asylum. This is already possible in Canada.

Some states have also been working towards making a safe space for trans youth. One of these states is Minnesota, which is being established as a “transgender refuge.”

House.MN.Gov reports that Minnesota is trying to become a transgender refuge. Several bills have been passed in the state to help transgender individuals, with one that prevented out-of-state governments from interfering with gender-affirming care.

During the conference Leigh Finke, a representative at the Legislature, spoke about how important it is to make a safe space for the trans community. 

“We have a responsibility to create more space for our community to live their fullest, authentic lives without fear of violence, rejection, abuse, or political attack,” said Finke.

As a whole there has been a surplus of new laws and restrictions introduced surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. Many question what the outcome of these laws will do, others may be excited about these laws. At the end of the day the LGBTQ+ community will be affected.