What’s Going On with Anti-Trans Legislation Targeting Youth?

"What's going on with anti-trans bills? Updated! April 29. There are two main types of anti-trans bills. Healthcare bills ban medically necessary healthcare (hormones + blockers) and criminalize doctors who provide this care. Sports bills prevent trans girls from playing on girls sports teams." Drawings of a doctor looking sad and a kid holding a soccer ball looking sad."Where to focus right now! Alabama SB10 makes it a felony to provide healthcare for trans youth (and maybe criminalize the trans kids too!) And sports bills moving fast in MT, MO, LA, OK, MC, TX." Drawing of a person making a phone call saying, "Hi Gov Kay Ivey, Please veto SB10. Trans kids need healthcare!" Below the speech bubble is the phone number (334)242-7100. "Anyone can call a governor, you don't need to live there!"There are 140 anti-trans bills in 34 states. Map of the US with MT, ND, SD, MN, WI, MI, NH, ME, CT, RI, NJ, PA, WV, OH, IN, KY, IA, MO, KS, OK, TX, NM, AZ, UT, HI, AR, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, NC, SC, TN colored labelled to indicate they are the states with anti-trans bills. ND, UT, NM, KS, KY, IN, and GA have smiling faces saying "bills dead/vetoed" and WV, TN, AL, MS, AR, SD have frowning faces indicating "Bills passed/are now law". Source: ACLU"Some good news! North Dakota and Kansas's governors vetoed bills thanks to amazing trans organizers. And some bills have died in the legislature or are stalled and unlikely to pass." Image of two people celebrating among graves that say, "NM HB304, KY SB106, UT HB92, ND HB1298, KS SB208""But overall it's getting worse!" A bar graph that shows there were 45 anti-trans bills in 2018, 52 in 2019, 84 in 2020, 140 in 2021. On the bars are sad faces getting progressively more upset and a skull and crossbones on the 2021 bar. Source: ACLU. "The bills are getting worse too... TX SB1646 says supporting trans kids is child abuse. ND HB1476 says trans is a religion so the state can't endorse it (wtf?!). NC SB514 says teachers must out trans students to parents." Drawing of Chase Strangio, ACLU Lawyer saying, "These bills targeting trans kids begin and end with the premise that a trans person is indistinguishable from a cis person of their assigned gender. That is, all trans boys are really cis girls, and all trans girls are really cis boys. The goal is to make all trans kids cis. That is eugenics.""The Florida bill requiring 'genital inspections' has been getting a lot of press. But it's not the only one! Sports bills in AZ, ME, MN, OH, RI, WV, NJ, and IA all require some sort of invasive inspection: testing chromosomes, testing testosterone levels, inspecting reproductive anatomy. Nobody's business." There are drawings of a chromosome, a test tube, and a kid with censor bars across their chest and crotch."Forcing people into a gender binary system is colonialist + racist. Not only will trans kids be impacted- these bills increase policing of intersex kids and Black girls' bodies in sports. A player coach, or parent can demand another kid's gender be investigated." A drawing of two kids holding tennis rackets and one kid is pointing accusingly at the other one."What do trans kids actually need? Health insurance. Teachers preventing harassment (and not being transphobic themselves). Trans elders! Support and love! Trans loved ones and leaders out of prison #freeAshleyDiamond. Sports teams that can't wait to have them play." Drawing of a kid looking up with lots of hearts and stars."All right, it's action time! Follow trans youth organizers like @ourTransTruth. Call your reps and Gov. Kay Ivey in Alabama. Talk to people you know. Fight for police abolition, ending intersex surgery, land back, abortion access, and reparations- all these issues are connected!" Drawing of a kid holding a megaphone.

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Will Betke-Brunswick

Will Betke-Brunswick is a trans and nonbinary cartoonist. They make diary comics, informational comics, and funny comics. Their graphic memoir is coming out in 2022!

Will has written 2 articles for us.

11 Comments

  2. This is so great! Despite the terrible subject matter…. Both informative and visually interesting. I really like the disability representation!

  4. Thank you for this simply put and important piece of work. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to get my little introverted head out of my ass and call some governors.

  5. This is such an important subject, thank you for covering it. And I love the illustrated format!

  6. Thank you for that incredible breakdown of a relevant subject. Questions about this arise in the most liberal of my circles. Take away the validity of sports and what remains is disgustingly rich & entitled white supremacy that thrives at dissension. The Ted Cruz’s of the world use transfolk as their ACE in the hole at the poles. It’s totally disgusting 🤮

  8. I didn’t understand too much about it but these infographics helped. What I don’t understand is why so many women are in favour of this like Conservatives won’t just turn around and use the leverage they gained from this to move after reproductive freedom and gay and lesbian issues.

  9. I didn’t understand too much about it but these infographics helped. What I don’t understand is why so many women are in favour of this like Conservatives won’t just turn around and use the leverage they gained from this to move after reproductive freedom and gay and lesbian issues. 美國黑金ptt

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