LGBTQ+ Rights & Trans Bans Tracker

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...

House Passes Anti-Trans 'Save Women's Sports' Bill

• In April, the GOP-backed 'Save Women's Sports' bill passed the House 219-203, with Democrat lawmakers calling it an example of "transgender bullying."
• The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act aims to prevent transgender women and girls who were assigned male at birth from competing in women's sports.
• In a recent poll by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland, 55% of Americans opposed trans athletes in women's sports at the high school level, while 58% opposed it at the college level.
• Over two dozen states have banned transgender youth from playing on girls' and women's teams since 2021.

How do you feel about the GOP-led ban on transgender athletes?

Silenced Trans Rep. Zooey Zephyr Sues Republican Lawmakers

• Montana transgender Rep. Zooey Zephyr filed a lawsuit against the Republican lawmakers who silenced her for defending trans rights.
• Zephyr announced that the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana and the law partners of Beck, Amsden, and Staples, and Mike Black filed suit in state court.
• Zephyr said of the Republican move to censure her:

"The effort by House leadership to silence me and my constituents is a disturbing and terrifying affront to democracy itself."

Tell House Speaker Rep. Matt Regier to stop silencing Rep. Zooey Zephyr

Disney Sues Gov. DeSantis in Ongoing Conflict

• Disney has sued Florida Gov. DeSantis and his hand-picked oversight board for weaponizing his political position to punish the company for their opposition to his policies, particularly their disagreement with his "Don't Say Gay" bill.
• Disney has accused the governor of infringing upon their free speech rights.
• The lawsuit was filed immediately after DeSantis' oversight committee took steps to regain its power over Disney and the special tax district in which it is located. Disney's lawsuit is seeking an injunction to block the oversight committee's actions. 

Do you support Disney's lawsuit?

MT Trans Rep. Zooey Zephyr Silenced by House Republicans

• Montana's first transgender lawmaker Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat from Missoula, has been forbidden to speak or participate in House proceedings by Republican lawmakers for the second week.
• Republican House Speaker Rep. Matt Reiger has refused to acknowledge Zephyr or let her talk since last Tuesday when she warned that Republican lawmakers would have "blood on their hands" if they banned gender-affirming care.
• This is the latest in an ongoing struggle between Zephyr and Republican lawmakers who are silencing her over her support for gender-affirming care for minors and for criticizing anti-trans legislation. 
• On April 25, Rep. Zephyr shared on Twitter a letter she received informing her that during Wednesday's floor session, there would be a motion to either censure or expel her. After this, Rep. Reiger canceled the House's floor session. 

Tell House Speaker Rep. Matt Regier to stop silencing Rep. Zooey Zephyr

Florida Expands 'Don't Say Gay' Bill to K-12 Grades

Do you support the "Don't Say Gay" bill?

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Disney Cites Royal Clause to Challenge DeSantis' Move to Take Control of Disney World

• Disney has referenced an obscure royal clause to render Gov. DeSantis' decision to take control of Disney's theme park district ineffective.
• Disney ran the district for over half a century until DeSantis made a move to take control of the district, citing Disney's defiance of state sex education laws and Disney's criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, known colloquially as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
• Disney has bypassed the Republican board selected by DeSantis by using an archaic covenant known as a "royal lives clause", which has been used in legal documentation since the late 17th century. 

Do you support DeSantis' bill?

Gov. DeSantis To Expand Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

• Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is moving towards expanding the controversial law known as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” banning teaching about sex education and gender identity in schools. 
• DeSantis seeks to bar all grades from talking about these subjects, even through senior year of high school.
• The Parental Rights in Education Act was passed last year and banned these topics from kindergarten to third grade. 
• The governor and other supporting Republicans say the law protects children from inappropriate content that should not be in the classroom, including language around sexual orientation, gender expression, identity, sex-ed, and any “sexually-oriented” programs or materials —- i.e., pride flag, pamphlets on gender dysphoria, drag queen story hours, and more. 

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.