Posted on Jul 9, 2023
State laws targeting LGBTQ rights have a new foe: federal judges
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A record number of bills aimed at restricting the rights of LGBTQ people have become law in the past three years, but the majority of those that have faced legal challenges haven’t held up in court, according to an NBC News analysis, legal experts and the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed legal challenges against some of the laws.
Just this year, state representatives introduced 491 bills aimed at restricting LGBTQ rights, with 77 of them becoming law, according to the ACLU. The majority of bills proposed and passed focused on limiting the ability of transgender youth to receive gender-transition care and play school sports. In the past year, lawmakers in at least 16 states also introduced bills to restrict drag performances.
Over the past few years, about two dozen states have passed nearly 50 laws targeting transition-related care, transgender student athlete participation and drag performances. The majority of those measures have not yet faced litigation, but most of those that have were temporarily or permanently blocked by judges.
Just this year, state representatives introduced 491 bills aimed at restricting LGBTQ rights, with 77 of them becoming law, according to the ACLU. The majority of bills proposed and passed focused on limiting the ability of transgender youth to receive gender-transition care and play school sports. In the past year, lawmakers in at least 16 states also introduced bills to restrict drag performances.
Over the past few years, about two dozen states have passed nearly 50 laws targeting transition-related care, transgender student athlete participation and drag performances. The majority of those measures have not yet faced litigation, but most of those that have were temporarily or permanently blocked by judges.
State laws targeting LGBTQ rights have a new foe: federal judges
Posted from nbcnews.com
LGBTQ+
Rights
Law
Transgender
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Posted 10 mo ago
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When one looks at the bills in the correct context I believe they will find the intent is just not to give special rights to any group of people. No one I know cares what the LGBTQ+ people do as long as they leave others alone. Live and let live, peace and joy.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Craig Konnoth, a University of Virginia law professor who previously served as a deputy solicitor general with the California Department of Justice, said the drag ban cases in particular have “a pretty good chance of continuing to win, even if it goes up to the Supreme Court.”
“I think that with respect to health care decisions, after Dobbs, I am hesitant to say anything about the right of individuals to be able to access health care,” he said, referring to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the constitutional right to abortion.
But legal victories can provide only so much protection to LGBTQ people. The wave of legislation has correlated with increased hate speech online, prompted teens to re-evaluate where they go to college based on the rights and protections available to them, led hospitals to cease providing transition-related care to new patients and frightened families into moving to other states to escape restrictions on transgender children.
“The laws do so much damage when they’re passed that I think it’s difficult to see even the court victories as a good thing on balance,” said Ryan Thoreson, a University of Cincinnati law professor and former researcher for Human Rights Watch. “The sheer number of these laws has been significantly disruptive to the care that transgender children are receiving. They’ve had a chilling effect on providers who are now much more cautious about providing some of these services to kids and their families.”...
..."Craig Konnoth, a University of Virginia law professor who previously served as a deputy solicitor general with the California Department of Justice, said the drag ban cases in particular have “a pretty good chance of continuing to win, even if it goes up to the Supreme Court.”
“I think that with respect to health care decisions, after Dobbs, I am hesitant to say anything about the right of individuals to be able to access health care,” he said, referring to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the constitutional right to abortion.
But legal victories can provide only so much protection to LGBTQ people. The wave of legislation has correlated with increased hate speech online, prompted teens to re-evaluate where they go to college based on the rights and protections available to them, led hospitals to cease providing transition-related care to new patients and frightened families into moving to other states to escape restrictions on transgender children.
“The laws do so much damage when they’re passed that I think it’s difficult to see even the court victories as a good thing on balance,” said Ryan Thoreson, a University of Cincinnati law professor and former researcher for Human Rights Watch. “The sheer number of these laws has been significantly disruptive to the care that transgender children are receiving. They’ve had a chilling effect on providers who are now much more cautious about providing some of these services to kids and their families.”...
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