LGBTQ+ Rights & Trans Bans

Take Action On LGBTQ+ Rights & Trans Bans

Causes.com is your source for up-to-date info on LGBTQIA+ rights and efforts to expand or limit them.

The LGBTQIA+ community is facing an array of challenges today, from bans on drag shows in Tennessee to a national "Don't Say Gay" bill. It's never been more important to take a stand.

Be sure to take action now by telling your reps your stance on LGBTQIA+ equality and anti-trans laws.

LGBTQIA+ rights, transgender bans, and gender-affirming care—get all the latest updates here...

Georgia Gov. Kemp Bans Gender-Affirming Care For Transgender Youth

• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a bill that would ban most gender-affirming care, including hormone replacement therapies and surgeries, for transgender youth under 18.
• Lawmakers gave their final approval to Senate Bill 140 with a 31-21 vote.
• The bill became one of the most controversial and divisive of Georgia's 2023 legislative session and Kemp signed the bill in private.
• The law takes effect on July 1 and minors who are currently receiving gender-affirming care will not be impacted by the law.

Do you support the growing bans against transgender youth?

Lawmakers Introduce Record Number of Anti-LGBTQIA+ Bills

• U.S. government officials have proposed a record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills so far this year, with 150 pieces of legislation being pre-filed, introduced, or passed in 23 states.
• In total, the American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 371 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, many of which are targeting transgender communities.
• Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) was the first to enact a gender-affirming care act of 2023. The ban does not impact trans youth previously diagnosed with gender dysphoria but places an indefinite ban on access to hormone therapy for future patients.
• The bills focus on a variety of targets, including but not limited to bathroom access, eligibility to play on sports teams, health care services, and gender-affirming care.

Contact your reps and demand they take action on LGBTQIA+ rights

Transgender Youth Experiencing Mental Health Crisis

• In 2021, the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ+ youth crisis organization, found that 25% of the 1,717 Black transgender and nonbinary youth they interviewed had attempted suicide in the past year.
• Over one-third of the Black trans youth polled, aged 13 to 24, have experienced homelessness or been kicked out of their home. In comparison, 24% of Black cisgender queer youth reported the same experience.
• Roughly 40% of respondents have been physically threatened or harmed, and 77% have been discriminated against due to their gender identity and sexual orientation. Nearly 45% of trans youth have experienced cyberbullying, and one-third said they feel unsafe seeing medical professionals, even when sick.

Speak out on anti-trans bills. Contact your Representatives today.

Gov. DeSantis Signs Bill To Increase Control of Disney World

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill earlier this week to take control of Walt Disney World’s municipal services and development for the special district surrounding the park. DeSantis said the company “crossed the line” by opposing his "Don’t Say Gay" bill.
• DeSantis hopes that while the board handles infrastructure and maintenance, it also stops Disney from “inject[ing] woke ideologies.” 
• Opponents say the bill seems to be a part of a growing feud between Disney and DeSantis. DeSantis has said he’s fighting the “woke indoctrination” of the company, including Disney’s move to require proof of vaccination, mandate masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and make changes to the park to promote diversity. 
• Critics are stressing that DeSantis’ bill is an attempt to push his own ideological agenda and a dangerous step towards punishing entities that exercise their First Amendment right to criticize his positions. 

Do you support DeSantis' bill?

Tennessee Bans Drag Shows 

• Tennessee lawmakers recently passed a bill prohibiting drag performances in front of children at public and private venues.
• The bill is sponsored by Republican Rep. Chris Todd and was signed into law by Republican Governor Bill Lee. This is one of twenty such bills targeting drag performances that are being introduced in the U.S.
• The Tennessee House also passed a law restricting minors' access to gender-affirming health care, placing the state at the helm of a Republican-led effort across the nation to restrict LGBTQ+ rights. 

Is Tennessee's bill unconstitutional? Tell the governor...

Spain Approves Menstrual Leave & Transgender Rights

• Spain approved legislation to expand abortion access for teenagers, transgender rights nationwide, and paid menstrual leave for workers.
• In a separate package, lawmakers strengthened transgender rights, allowing anyone over 16 to change their legally registered gender without medical approval.
• Teenagers between the ages of 12-13 will need a judge’s authorization, and those between 14 and 16 will need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Before the new measure was introduced, transgender people needed a medical diagnosis for gender dysphoria. 
• This package also bans conversion therapy and allows state-provided support for LGBTQIA+ women seeking IVF treatment. 

Should more countries do the same?

FDA Eases ‘Outdated’ Restrictions on Blood Donations From Gay Men

• After years of protests from activists and blood bank workers, the FDA has proposed easing the restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men who are in monogamous relationships, allowing them to donate blood for the first time since 1985.
• Under new guidelines announced by the FDA, gay and bisexual men will no longer have to abstain from sex to donate blood.
• Any individual, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, who has had anal sex with a new partner or multiple partners will have to wait three months before donating blood. The FDA’s revised approach focuses less on a person’s sexual identity and more on the sexual behaviors that increase the risk of HIV.