Beginning during the 2020 election cycle, state and local election officials have been the targets of an alarming increase in violent threats and harassment. Much of this rise can be linked to the proliferation of unfounded claims of voter fraud and rigged elections. As a result, some states have put in place new laws that…
The initiative process is a tool through which citizens can propose statutes or constitutional amendments to be put on the ballot in their state. Often referred to generally as ballot measures, the initiative process can be direct or indirect depending on the state. Direct citizen initiatives are put onto the ballot without involvement from the…
Bans on best-practice medical care represent one of the most extreme and coordinated political attacks on transgender people in recent years. These bills target transgender youth by blocking their access to best-practice medical care, care that is backed by years of rigorous research and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association,…
State Medicaid policies reflect varying interpretations of federal regulations that prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. Some state policies explicitly say that the state's Medicaid program covers medically necessary care for transgender people, whereas other state policies explicitly exclude such care. Still other states have no explicit policy either way. Importantly, even in states without…
Drag is an art form dating back centuries and is a vital part of LGBTQ culture and history. While state laws restricting gender-based dress also date back to at least the 1800s, 2023 brought a resurgence of efforts to limit free speech and expression in the form of drag performances. These attacks are part of…
Since 2020, there has been a growing legislative attack on transgender people, and particularly on transgender youth. This includes a growing number of bills (and now laws) that explicitly require school staff—and in some cases, any government or public employee—to out transgender youth to their families, often without regard for whether doing so might put…
Recently, anti-LGBTQ activists and politicians have introduced – and passed – laws to ban transgender youth from participating in school sports. The scope of these bans can vary across age ranges, but commonly including both K-12 schools and college settings. These laws mean that transgender girls, for example, would not be allowed to participate in…
As part of a broader, coordinated attack on transgender people across the country, these newly emerging laws explicitly regulate gender by defining “sex” throughout all state law to effectively allow discrimination against transgender people. These laws regulate gender and define sex as only male or female, typically based on a person’s presumed reproductive anatomy, chromosomes,…
Transgender people’s access to best-practice health care—sometimes also called gender-affirming care—is increasingly under attack. In response, a growing number of states are taking action to protect access to this medically necessary health care. These “shield” or “refuge” laws can vary from one state to the next, but their primary goal is to protect transgender people,…
