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GayCityNews.com | April 7 - April 20, 2022
Lawmakers continue attacks on trans youth in multiple states
BY MATT TRACY
Arizona and Oklahoma have
become the latest states to
finalize legislation banning
transgender youth from
participating in sports in accordance
with their gender identity — and Governor
Doug Ducey of Arizona has also
approved a bill targeting gender-affirming
care for trans youth.
Ducey and Oklahoma Governor
Kevin Stitt signed the anti-trans bills
into law on March 30 — the eve of
Transgender Day of Visibility — and
both governors borrowed from the
prevailing GOP narrative to explain
away their decisions to pass legislation
against trans youth. Stitt said his state
is “protecting women’s sports” and
“ensuring a level playing field,” while
Ducey attempted to stay ahead of any
criticism of the sports and health bills
by saying the legislative effort aims to
“address these two specific issues while
ensuring that transgender individuals
continue to receive the same dignity,
respect, and kindness as every individual
in our society.” There is nothing
in the legislation that purports to be
supportive of trans individuals.
The ACLU and the National Center
for Lesbian Rights said they would file
a lawsuit against Arizona in response
to the passage of the health law, which
blocks minors from undergoing gender
affirming surgery. The measure
also initially sought to bar puberty
blockers — but that part was nixed
prior to passage, according to The Advocate.
Notably, Ducey also signed a
restrictive law banning abortions after
15 weeks.
Oklahoma and Arizona lawmakers
passed the sports bills on March 24
during a week of significant movement
on anti-trans bills nationwide. Among
other states, Kentucky, Indiana, and
Utah also rushed to pass similar legislation
— and lawmakers went out of
their way to override Governors Eric
Holcomb of Indiana when he vetoed
the bill. Utah Governor Spencer Cox
also vetoed the anti-trans bill, but
did not experience the same kind of
resistance. Kentucky Governor Andy
Beshear is a Democrat and has been
praised for supporting LGBTQ individuals,
but he has not indicated whether
he intends to sign the bill.
Office of Governor Doug Ducey
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt surrounded himself with young girls as he signed a bill banning trans girls from
playing sports.
BY MATT TRACY
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
signed the state’s “Don’t
Say Gay or Trans” bill into
law on March 28, effectively
banning discussions about sexual orientation
or gender identity in schools.
The bill, HB 1557, explicitly bans
LGBTQ-related rhetoric from kindergarten
through third grade — but it
also features vague language barring
conversations that are not “age appropriate”
in schools, raising questions
about how far the law could be
stretched. The law is scheduled to go
into effect on July 1, though it is expected
to face legal challenges.
Moreover, the legislation calls for
parents are to be notified when students
have any changes to their physical,
mental, or physical health — which
is particularly problematic for students
who are not in a position to share such
information with their families. The
law will also be able to sue school districts
for violating it.
Protests against the legislation have
erupted across Florida and many students
have participated in walkouts,
but the DeSantis administration has
aggressively pushed back against critics
with deeply offensive rhetoric. The
governor’s press secretary, Christina
Pushaw, peddled longstanding false
stereotypes about queer people when
she described the measure as an
“anti-grooming bill.” During a speech
just two weeks before the bill was
signed, DeSantis remained defiant as
he ramped up his nonsensical rhetoric,
saying, “We are not going to allow
them to inject transgenderism into
kindergarten.”
At a press conference on March 28,
DeSantis complained of kindergarten
students being taught that they can be
“whatever they want to be,” which he
said is not appropriate “for any place,
but especially not in Florida.”
Democrats who campaigned against
the bill expressed frustration after it
was signed into law. Out gay Florida
State Representative Carlos G. Smith
said DeSantis is working to “censor
and exclude an entire community of
people from our public schools” for his
own political gain.
“This law doesn’t solve any problem
that exists,” Smith said in a written
statement. “Instead, HB 1557 has been
weaponized by the governor’s office to
launch a bigoted smear campaign to
attack and defame LGBTQ Floridians
with baseless accusations of grooming
and pedophilia”
REU TER S/Octavio Jones
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida is barring discussions
of LGBTQ people in classrooms.
POLITICS
GOP Governors Approve Anti-Trans Sports, Health Bills
DeSantis Signs “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” Bill Into Law
Florida governor ignores criticism, targets LGBTQ people in schools
/GayCityNews.com
