The last few years in America have been rough for queer people and with new Trump era legislation, there are no signs of it improving. From forbidding transgender athletes from participating in school sports to asking SCOTUS to overturn Obergefell vs Hodges, which states that same-sex couples have the right to marry regardless of where they live, the rights of queer people are being threatened. From 2023 through now, the American Civil Liberties Union tracked a total of 1500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that were introduced around the U.S. Many bills have fully passed in states like Florida and Texas. Including Florida Senate Bill 254, which allows the state of Florida to take emergency custody of a minor if “the child has been subjected to or is threatened with being subjected to sex reassignment prescriptions or procedures.”
Many of these laws can be unsafe for queer youth, especially trans youth. These legislations have detrimental effects on the mental health of young queer people. In an interview with Laura Loray (@ThatPsychNP), a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, she shares that some of her patients are worried about being “Legislated away,” and also noted increased rates of depression and anxiety in her patients as a result of legislation restricting their freedom to exist. She also stated that “legislators who define being transgender as a mental illness are factually incorrect due to the definitions in the DSM 5 TR diagnosis criteria,” noting that “Not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria.” Laura says that she finds these legislations “poorly written” and believes that they are “unfairly targeting a small minority.”
A handful of states have codified protections for queer youth and adults including Minnesota, New York, California, Washington, and Colorado. These states and their legislators have shared that they believe in protecting their queer youth. The Human Rights Campaign has been involved in the defeat of hundreds of anti LGBTQ+ bills and advocate for the rights and protections of queer individuals in the united states. Several legislators have spoken out in support of LGBTQ rights in their legislative sessions, including representatives Zooey Zephyr, Becca Balint, Pramila Jayapal, Mark Takano, and Sarah Mcbride. Mcbride is also the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. Some anti LGBTQ+ legislation targets government officials and services. For example, there is a house resolution backed by Rep. Nancy Mace, who is openly against LGBTQ+ rights, and approved by Speaker Mike Johnson, that requires house members to use the bathroom that “aligns with their biological sex.” This resolution unfairly targets Mcbride as the only openly transgender member of the house.
Project 2025, a “Mandate for Leadership” written by the Heritage Foundation includes plans to “reverse policies that allow transgender individuals in the military” stating that, “gender dysphoria is incompatible with the demands of the military,” and also mentioning that “children suffer the toxic normalization of transgenderism.” Many right-wing individuals are calling for the erasure of transgender people. The most notable being Michael Knowles who shared that “for the good of society, transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely.”
The assault on queer youth is stronger than ever. If you disagree with these bills, you are strongly encouraged to contact your representatives. If you do not know who represents your congressional district, you can find them here, and you can find your senators’ contact information here.
