Right-wing extremists are taking advantage of a partisan, radical Supreme Court to intensify their attacks on transgender rights to a national level.
Just this year, a record-breaking 162 bills restricting transgender rights have been introduced across the country, 21 of which have been enacted.[1] In Texas, where the GOP platform now defines homosexuality as an “abnormal lifestyle choice,”[2] family protective services is actively investigating parents who may have provided their trans kids with gender-affirming care.[3]
We need to stand with trans people and their families! Representatives Pramila Jayapal, David Cicilline, Marie Newman, Mark Takano, and Ritchie Torres have introduced a Transgender Bill of Rights in the House to protect transgender and nonbinary Americans’ access to healthcare, employment, and housing.[4] Conngress can stop this discrimination – but only with grassroots support can we make this a priority to pass now.
Fifty-two percent of trans youth have contemplated suicide in the last year.[4] But access to gender-affirming hormone therapy is associated with 40% lower odds of depression and suicide among transgender and nonbinary youth.[3]
However, anti-trans state legislators have been blocking access to gender-affirming care. Three governors have tried unsuccessfully to veto the anti-trans bills enacted in their states — including Republican Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah who pointed out in his veto that suicide rates are improved when students are shown “even a little acceptance and connection.”[1]
That’s why we need federal legislation that would stop these anti-trans bills. The Transgender Bill of Rights would add gender identity and sex characteristics to the Civil Rights Act protections against employment discrimination. It would protect rights to gender-affirming health care and ban forced surgery on intersex children. It would ban conversion therapy and establish a transgender liaison at the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.[4]
We must do everything necessary to stop states from chipping away at trans people’s rights to health care, sports, and employment. Unless Congress passes protections, trans Americans will continue to find their lives and rights limited again and again. Republicans want us to believe this is a fringe issue, but a two-thirds majority of Americans oppose laws attacking trans rights.[5] We need to raise those voices to Congress so that leadership takes up the Transgender Bill of Rights.
Join us in calling on Congress to pass the Transgender Bill of Rights!
[1] “2022 is already a record year for state bills seeking to curtail LGBTQ rights, ACLU data shows,” CNN, July 17, 2022 [2] “Texas GOP’s new platform calls gay people ‘abnormal’ and rejects trans identities,” NBC News, June 21, 2022 [3] “As Texas Targets Trans Youth, a Family Leaves in Search of a Better Future,” Time, July 14, 2022 [4] “Jayapal, Cicilline, Newman, Takano, Torres Lead Members in Introducing the Trans Bill of Rights,” Pramila Jayapal, June 28, 2022 [5] “New poll shows Americans overwhelmingly oppose anti-transgender laws,” PBS, April 16, 2021