Still Fighting: Rise in Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills

March 10, 2022 Kian Concert Entertainment 1

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

2021 was a record-setting year for the proposal of perceived legislative attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, and 2022 has become the stage where the fate of these bills will be decided. More than 100 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were proposed throughout the United States in 2021. Many will be ruled on this year, and with many anti-LGBTQ+ victories already in place, activists and community members alike are concerned with the future of LGBTQ+ rights.

Go Deeper

Defining the issue

Although the revolutionary Obergefell v. Hodges case in 2015 granted all Americans the right to same-sex marriage, the issue of LGBTQ+ rights has been a consistent battlefield for decades now. A win in one state seems to be met with a loss in another, from businesses being permitted to turn away LGBTQ+ customers to transgender students being allowed to participate on sports teams.

In 2019, former President Donald Trump reinstated a historic ban that forbade transgender individuals from enlisting and serving in the military, though it notably allowed transgender soldiers with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria to continue serving. President Biden’s reversal of this ban and promise of support to the entire LGBTQ+ community seemed promising to politicians and activists.

However, this reversal has quickly been followed up by statewide bills that would put the civil liberties of LGBTQ+ people at risk.

A Closer Look

Though every single anti-LGBTQ+ bill can’t be covered, here are some examples of live bills:

  • Florida’s S1834 Bill, known by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” would allow district schools to “out” their students to their parents if certain information is given to teachers and administrators. This bill would also prohibit the encouragement of class discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • An Iowan state law that bans transgender women and girls from competing in all school sports–ranging from K-12 to University–was passed as of March 9th, 2022, despite 45% of Iowans opposing the measure.
  • AZ SB1399 would reinforce the right of private and faith-based adoption agencies to “abstain from conduct that conflicts” with their religious beliefs–which could and would include preventing LGBTQ+ parents from adopting through them.
A map of the states with live anti-LGBTQ+ bills. The darker the shade of red, the more bills there are. Source: Freedom For All Americans (freedomforallamericans.org)

The Numbers

  • More than 290 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced throughout the country in 2021.
    • More than 140 of these targeted transgender and non-binary individuals.
  • As of March 10th, 2022, Tennessee is the state with the most proposed bills, standing at 31.

1 Comment

  1. I think that the “closer look” of your story shows why this is so important and why people need to be informed about the topic. The three examples were powerful and moving, so it was a good idea to choose these, because they show how wrongful they are. They are explained well enough where you understand what is happening, but they hyperlink also shows more detail which is a good resource to provide. I think the story all together is very well put together and informational.

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