For the first time in its 40-year history, the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group, has declared a state of emergency for the queer and trans community following this year’s spate of discriminatory laws.
“LGBTQ+ Americans live in a state of emergency. “The escalating threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived — they are real, tangible and dangerous,” Kelley Robinson, the group’s CEO, said in a statement.
“In many cases, they lead to violence against LGBTQ+ people, force families to abandon their lives and leave their homes in search of safer states, and unleash a tidal wave of increasing homophobia and transphobia that threatens the safety of each and every one of us .” in danger.”
HRC also published a report on Tuesday, detailing the real impact of the more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ laws introduced in state legislatures this year. Almost half of the bills targeted transgender people.
More than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been passed this year alone. This legislation has already made life difficult for LGBTQ+ people, as Republican-controlled lawmakers have banned trans athletes from participating in sports, restricted access to gender-based counseling for trans youth and some adults, and banned discussion of gender and sexuality in classrooms.
HRC estimates that 31% of transgender youth ages 13-17 currently live in states where they no longer have access to gender-specific care, and approximately 243,000 transgender people ages 13 and older live in states where where they face significant barriers to using toilets and other public facilities consistent with their gender identity.
Last week, Texas, the country’s largest state, barred transgender youth from accessing gender-specific treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy, which most major medical associations consider medically necessary.
In May, days before announcing his presidential campaign, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law a series of bills aimed at barring transgender youth and adults with state insurance from access to gender-specific care and an anti-trans Keep bathroom ban punishable by law. (On Tuesday, a federal judge issued an injunction against the state’s ban on gender-based grooming.)
In response to DeSantis’ conservative approach, HRC issued a travel notice for Florida. The NAACP and Equality Florida also issued notices for black, black, queer and transgender visitors to the Sunshine State.
HRC says in the report that this spate of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is no accident. The language used in these bills is often a copy of bills drafted and funded by far-right organizations such as the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Heritage Foundation.
The report also examines how the country got to this point, arguing that anti-LGBTQ+ Republican officials have “undermined the democratic process in a variety of ways” to enforce discriminatory laws, citing the censure and removal of trans Lawmakers like Oklahoma State Rep. Mauree Turner and Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who spoke out against anti-trans laws earlier this year.
The group also released a travelguide It outlines resources and best practices for people living in states with anti-LGBTQ+ policies, as well as key factors individuals and families should consider when relocating to more queer- and trans-friendly states.
Although HRC warns of the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ laws and violence, the group insists the American electorate is overwhelmingly opposed to curbing health care access and supports LGBTQ+ rights.
“It is also incumbent on our allies across the country to stand with us and make it clear that they will not stand by while extremists attack and slander LGBTQ+ people and our families. We will fight with all our might to ensure that the safety and dignity of every LGBTQ+ person is respected and protected – without exception,” said Robinson.