Demonstrators carry anti-homophobia signs during a vigil in memory of the victims of Orlando's gay nightclub attack in London, U.K. on June 13, 2016.
According to an article in The Advocate, bills seeking to restrict access to gender-affirming care have been introduced in 21 states this year. The 59 bills introduced so far against trans health care are part of a rash of anti-LGBTQ legislation, 185 bills in all, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. “These bills represented a coordinated effort to deny transgender people our freedom, our safety, and our dignity,” Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project, said.
North Carolina has two anti-LGBTQ bills pending, one in the Senate, and one in the House. The one in the Senate is modeled on legislation in Florida and is heading on a fast track. The GOP claims they could override a Governor’s veto.
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to introduce a slate of new anti-LGBTQ bills, but the session is just getting started after a lengthy debate in naming a new speaker. With a slim GOP majority, their top priority is going after the Jan. 6th committee, which already has been disbanded. Attacking Hunter Biden probably is second priority, so we may come down the list.
Although laws regarding sports, school curriculum, and drag queens are under consideration, the majority relate to transgender and non-conforming gender issues. This reflects the high level of violence against this community in the past two years. These groups seem to attract a particular vehemence among the far-right politicians and clergy. They hate all LGBTQ folks, but they seem to have a particular hatred of trans people.
During the Trump administration, all LGBTQ advocacy groups were on the defensive. We hoped for a better future with the Biden Administration, and we did get the Defense of Marriage Act. The GOP strategy now appears to be to focus on state legislatures where the GOP has control. In response, some of these laws have prompted court cases challenging the legislation. It may take years for them to work their way through the system.
Public opinion polls solidly favor LGBTQ rights, but that doesn’t translate into legislation. The fear-mongering right-wing media seem to feed on homophobia as a lightning rod issue that gets a rise. In recent months, several mega church pastors also have issued inflammatory statements. I guess it’s a sure way to get your name in the news.
The most promising trend is that LGBTQ rights are largely a generational issue. Young people just roll their eyes and ask, “what’s the problem?” I don’t know what comes after Generation Z. Do we just start over with the alphabet, or do sociologists come up with another scheme? Some wag has described this debate as part of the GOP “culture wars.” I say it’s simply an effort to try to turn back the clock 50 years regarding civil rights. They are just as angry about race.
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