The horrific anti-trans bill that North Carolina governor Pat McCrory signed into law last night is not an isolated piece of legislation. The new law, which only allows transgender people use restrooms designated for the gender they were assigned at birth, is part of a broad campaign spearheaded by the Family Research Council to scapegoat and dehumanize transgender people, and to deny them basic rights. Nine other states have “bathroom bills” pending, and some of them are joined by other pieces of legislation that seek to deny transition-related healthcare to imprisoned trans people and make it impossible for trans people to obtain vital records (like birth certificates, marriage licenses, and driver’s licenses) that accurately reflect their gender.
Last year 21 anti-trans bills were introduced into various state legislatures, and while none of them passed, it set the stage for the 44 anti-trans bills that have been introduced in the first three months of 2016. Like the one in Tennessee this week, many of these bills will die in committee, which is where they go to be scrutinized after they are introduced but before they are voted on by the general assembly. However, South Dakota’s bill made it all the way to the governor before it was vetoed. And now North Carolina’s has now made to the governor and been enacted as law.
Opening the floor for this kind of transphobic debate only preys on people’s ignorant fears and perpetuates the kind of untrue stereotypes that have led to a pandemic of violence against trans people, particularly black trans women.
Whether or not these bills are passed, the simple introduction of them into state legislatures can be deadly for trans people. These bills seek to dehumanize trans people by leaning into dangerous and untrue stigmas that trans men and women are predators and deviants, and that they deserve to be punished. Stereotypes that are reinforced year after year by what people see on TV, by the way. Opening the floor for this kind of transphobic debate only preys on people’s ignorant fears and perpetuates the kind of untrue stereotypes that have led to a pandemic of violence against trans people, particularly black trans women.
Below is a list of anti-trans legislation that is in currently in play in state legislatures around the country, and links to resources to join the fight to stop these lawmakers from making the world even more dangerous for trans people.
Public School Bathroom Bills
Status: In committee
Resources: Equality Illinois
Kansas HB 2737 // Kansas SB 513
Status: In committee with only two weeks left in session
Recourses: Contact state legislators
Status: In committee
Resources: Contact Kentucky House representatives
Missouri HB 1624 // Missouri HB2303 // Missouri SB720
Status: Introduced, no committee yet
Resources: #MoTransRights
Status: In committee
Recourses: SC Equality // National Center for Transgender Equality
Status: In committee
Recourses: Contact state legislators
General Public Bathroom Bills
Status: In committee
Resources: Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
Minnesota H. F. No. 3396 // Minnesota SF 3002
Status: In committee
Resources: OutFront Minnesota
Status: Going to floor for full vote from the House
Resources: Contact Mississippi House representatives
Status: Introduced, no committee yet
Resources: #MoTransRights
Vital Records Denial Bills
Tennessee HB2600Â //Â Tennessee SB2275
Status: In committee
Resources: Contact state legislators
Transition-Related Healthcare Refusal Bills
Status: Introduced, no committee yet
Resources: SC Equality // National Center for Transgender Equality
Ballot initiatives
If Washington State anti-trans group “Just Want Privacy” receives 246,372 signatures on their ballot initiative by by July 8, the public will be able to vote on the rights of transgender people in the general election in November. Their initiative seeks to overturn state protections already in place for trans people, institute a new bathroom law, and prohibit any individual municipality from issuing protection for trans people in individual districts.
For information on how to stop their initiative, check out the resources at Washington Safe Alliance.