Get ready to laugh, folks! It turns out that state legislators have been having a bit too much fun lately, introducing over 400 anti-trans bills since January – more than the previous four years combined! That’s right, they’re really taking the phrase “go big or go home” to heart.
From Montana to Nebraska, these bills have been causing quite the stir. The Montana legislature even held a lengthy and heated discussion on a bill to define sex as simply male or female. Who knew defining something so complex could be so amusing?
In Nebraska, lawmakers took things up a notch and banned gender-affirming care for minors, after a weeks-long filibuster. That’s right, no more affirming gender for the kiddos. Meanwhile, Missouri and North Dakota have been busy signing bills to restrict trans girls’ participation in sports and gender-affirming care for minors.
It’s hard to keep up with all the action, with near-daily hearings and votes happening all over the place. As of April 14, there have been over 400 bills introduced by these state legislators, versus just 156 last year. And it’s not just about trans girls in sports anymore – now drag shows and gender-affirming care for adults are also on the chopping block.
Some states are even imposing restrictions through executive action. Missouri’s Attorney General is releasing an emergency regulation that says recommending or providing gender-affirming care is “an unfair, deceptive, fraudulent, or otherwise unlawful practice” under state law. Wow, talk about being tough on crime!
But hold on, medical organizations are speaking up against these anti-trans bills. The American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Endocrine Society, to name a few, all oppose these restrictions on gender-affirming care. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics says that such care is “medically necessary and appropriate” for some minors. Looks like somebody goofed.
In any case, let’s take a closer look at these bills that have become law this year. And just for clarification, we’re only counting the bills that explicitly target transgender rights. Wouldn’t want to confuse anyone with all these wacky hijinks!
Serious News: washingtonpost
