What you need to know about bills restricting transgender rights in the US
More than 500 bills that would restrict the rights of transgender Americans have been introduced across the United States this year – three times the number presented in the whole of 2022, according to a website tracking LGBTQ+ legislation.
More than 60 of the bills have been passed into law in 16 states, found LGBTQ+ Legislative Tracking, an online archive compiled by trans rights activists Allison Chapman, Erin Reed and Alejandra Caraballo.
The laws include measures banning trans people from accessing gender-affirming medical care, using bathrooms consistent with their gender identity and participating in girls’ sports teams in schools and colleges.
Several states have also introduced bills to prohibit drag shows in public venues or in front of minors. Critics say the increase in legislative initiatives shows conservative politicians and religious groups are stepping up their push to restrict the freedoms and rights of trans people.
