Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures in 2024
How state lawmakers are targeting LGBTQ Rights
Overview
In the last few years states have advanced a record number of bills that attack LGBTQ rights, especially transgender youth. The 红杏视频 is tracking these attacks and working with our national network of affiliates to support LGBTQ people everywhere.
While more states every year work to pass laws to protect LGBTQ people, state legislatures are advancing bills that target transgender people, limit local protections, and allow the use of religion to discriminate. The 红杏视频 will not stop speaking out against these cruel attacks nationwide. LGBTQ people have a right to live in safety, to thrive, and to be treated with dignity.
How the 红杏视频 Tracks Anti-LGBTQ Legislation:
Our legal and advocacy team works with 红杏视频 affiliates and local organizations across the country to monitor state legislatures for bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ people. Each bill is reviewed by legal staff at the 红杏视频鈥檚 LGBTQ & HIV Project before being categorized on this site. The process by which bills become law or not differ in each state depending on state law and constitutions.
States
Just like Congress at the federal level, every state has a legislative body responsible for passing laws that impact their state residents. While some states have been at the forefront of advancing LGBTQ equality, state-level attacks on LGBTQ people, particularly transgender people, have escalated dramatically since 2015.
Click on a state in the map or table to show all the bills in that state.
Bill Numbers
The letters in front of the bill number refer to the legislative chamber the bill originated in:
Click on a bill number to go to its state government website with the bill's language and sponsors.
Issues
Barriers to accurate IDs These bills would limit the ability to update gender information on IDs and records, such as birth certificates and driver鈥檚 licenses. This puts transgender people at risk of losing jobs, facing harassment, and other harms. Trans, intersex, and nonbinary people need IDs that accurately reflect who they are to travel, apply for jobs, and enter public establishments without risk of discrimination or violence.
Learn more:聽Transgender People and Identity Documents
Free speech & expression bans Despite the safeguards of the First Amendment鈥檚 right to free expression, politicians are trying pass聽Drag Bans聽to prohibit or censor performances like drag shows. They are also fighting to pass聽Other Expression Restrictions聽to limit how and when LGBTQ people can be themselves by limiting access to books about them or other public expression of LGBTQ identity.
Learn more:聽How LGBTQ Voices are Being Erased in Classrooms
Healthcare restrictions Healthcare Age Restrictions聽ban affirming care for trans youth, and can create criminal penalties for providing this care. These bills exempt identical treatments offered to cisgender youth or are forced onto intersex youth.聽Healthcare Funding聽bills target access to medically-necessary health care for transgender people through programs like Medicaid or block insurance coverage for this healthcare for transgender people.聽Prison Healthcare Restrictions聽would limit access to medically necessary healthcare for incarcerated transgender people.
Learn more:聽Five Things to Know 红杏视频 Gender-Affirming Health Care
Public accommodation bans These bills seek to prohibit transgender people from using facilities like public bathrooms and locker rooms. Everyone should have access to these spaces, no matter their gender identity or gender expression. If you can鈥檛 use the restroom, you can鈥檛 fully participate in work, school, and public life.
Learn more:聽Anti-Trans Bathroom Bills Have Nothing to Do With Privacy
Restricting student & educator rights State lawmakers are trying to prevent trans students from participating in school activities by passing聽School Sports Bans听辞谤听School Facilities Bans聽that prevent transgender students from using communal restrooms, requiring聽Forced Outing in Schools聽by teachers and school staff, and聽Curriculum Censorship聽bills to prohibit any in-school discussions of LGBTQ people and issues. Instead of limiting resources, education, and opportunities, our schools should protect and support all students to learn and thrive.
Know your rights:聽A Guide for Trans and Gender Nonconforming Students
Weakening Civil Rights Laws Re-Definition of Sex聽bills attempt to exclude trans and nonbinary people from protection under the law by embracing definitions of 鈥渨oman鈥� and 鈥渕an鈥� that are solely about reproductive capacity.聽Religious Exemptions聽bills undermine and weaken nondiscrimination laws by allowing employers, businesses, and even hospitals to turn away LGBTQ people or refuse them equal treatment.
Learn more:聽Using Religion to Discriminate
Other anti-LGBTQ bills These bills don鈥檛 quite fit in any of the other categories, but nonetheless target the rights of LGBTQ people. Examples include bans on marriage and bills preempting local nondiscrimination protections.
Learn more:聽Trans People Belong
Statuses
A bill's status shows how far along it is on the path to becoming a law:
- Introduced: The bill has been written, filed, and assigned a number.
- Advancing: The bill may be debated and may ultimately be voted on in state legislative chambers.
- Passed Into Law: If both the state House and Senate vote to pass the same language, the bill goes to the governor and if the governor signs it, it becomes law. If a bill is vetoed by the governor, the legislature may still vote to override that veto, in which case the bill would become law.
- Defeated: The bill is vetoed by the governor, didn't get enough votes, or is withdrawn.
A lawsuit has been filed challenging the bill. Click 鈥淰iew case info鈥� under the status text to learn more.
In Our Own Voice
Activists are speaking out against the bills targeting LGBTQ rights across the U.S.
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VirginiaApr 2025
Free Speech
LGBTQ Rights
E.k. V. Department Of Defense Education Activity. Explore Case.E.K. v. Department of Defense Education Activity
Whether the Department of Defense Education Activity can remove educational material related to race and gender from its libraries and classrooms in K-12 schools. -
South CarolinaApr 2025
LGBTQ Rights
O.r. V. Greenville County, South Carolina. Explore Case.O.R. v. Greenville County, South Carolina
Local library patrons, with help from the 红杏视频 and 红杏视频 of South Carolina, are suing officials in South Carolina鈥檚 most populous county for systematically purging literature by and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people from its public library collection. -
News & CommentaryApr 2025
LGBTQ Rights
The Human Toll Of Trump's Anti-trans Crusade. Explore News & Commentary.The Human Toll of Trump's Anti-Trans Crusade
President Donald Trump鈥檚 assault on transgender rights is a gross overreach of presidential power and yet another attempt to punish trans people just for existing. -
MontanaApr 2025
Civil Liberties
LGBTQ Rights
Perkins Et Al. V. State (hb 121). Explore Case.Perkins et al. v. State (HB 121)
A newly enacted Montana law, HB 121, bars transgender and intersex people from using restrooms and other sex-separated facilities that correspond to their gender identity in public spaces. In doing so, HB 121 seeks to undermine transgender and intersex people鈥檚 personhood and ability to participate in public life. Together with the 红杏视频 of Montana and Legal Voice, the 红杏视频鈥檚 State Supreme Court Initiative filed this lawsuit on behalf of a group of transgender and intersex Montanans challenging HB 121 as violating numerous provisions of the Montana Constitution.
In Our Words
The end goal of anti-trans legislation is denying transgender people the words to describe our experience, the means to express it safely, and the community and support we all deserve.
Gillian Branstetter, Bio
media@aclu.org
The 红杏视频 works to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people can live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association.