Truthout
LGBTQ Rights
![People protest in front of Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia's office after the passage of the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by LGBTQ activists on March 9, 2022, in Miami, Florida.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-1383522747-400x300.jpg)
“Don’t Say Gay” Bills Aren’t New. Some States Have Had Them for Decades.
At least 20 states have introduced “Don’t Say Gay” laws this year. Oklahoma passed the nation's first in 1987.
![Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a press conference in Orlando, Florida, on August 16, 2021.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/04/2022_0421-ron-desantis-400x300.jpg)
Florida’s Anti-Trans “Guidelines” Are a Partisan Attack That Could Harm Youth
Florida officials' statement holds no legal weight, but it is still a vehicle for spreading fear.
![Alabama's state capitol building is pictured in Montgomery, Alabama.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/04/2022_0408-alabama-state-capitol-400x300.jpg)
Alabama GOP Anti-Trans Restroom Bill Also Muzzles Education on LGBTQ Issues
“We’re turning into bullies to these kids and it’s not a good feeling,” one Democratic lawmaker said.
![A marcher holds a sign that says ERA NOW during the Woman's March in the borough of Manhattan in New York on January 18, 2020.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/03/2022_0322-ERA-now-400x300.jpg)
Dark Money “Women’s Groups” Are Using Anti-Trans Scaremongering to Oppose ERA
Anti-feminist women’s groups set on quashing the Equal Rights Amendment are stoking baseless fears about trans women.
![Minnesotans hold a rally at the capitol to support trans kids effected by anti-trans legislation in Minnesota, Texas, and around the country, in St. Paul, Minnesota, on March 6, 2022.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/03/2022_0322-trans-rights-400x300.jpg)
GOP Attacks Threaten Gender-Affirming Care for a Third of Trans Youth in the US
Fifteen states are moving to restrict gender-affirming care for an estimated 58,000 youth and young adults.
![Person holds up LGBTQ flag](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/03/2022_0315-lgbtq-flag-400x300.jpg)
New Hampshire Republicans Seek to Repeal State’s Ban on Youth Conversion Therapy
Several medical groups have condemned conversion therapy, noting that the practice can lead to extreme mental distress.
![Texas Gov. Greg Abbott exits stage after speaking at the Houston Region Business Coalition's monthly meeting on October 27, 2021, in Houston, Texas.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/03/GettyImages-1349470097-400x300.jpg)
Judge Halts Family Investigations in Texas Under Abbott’s Anti-Trans Directive
District Judge Amy Clark Meachum issued an injunction Friday against investigations of transgender children's parents.
![The Georgia state capitol building is pictured in Atlanta, Georgia.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/03/2022_0310-georgia-capitol-400x300.jpg)
Georgia Republicans Propose Their Own Version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill
The bill would restrict teachers in private schools that receive state funding from discussing LGBTQ issues.
![Chase Strangio on the GOP’s Push in Florida, Texas, Idaho to Eradicate Trans Youth & Trans Lives](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/03/SEG3-chase-split-2-400x300.jpg)
GOP Anti-LGBT Legislation Is Attempt to “Eradicate Trans Youth” Says ACLU Lawyer
More than 35 states have introduced bills targeting trans young people.
![More than 100 people rallied at the state capitol in Boise, Idaho, in support of transgender students and athletes on March 4, 2020.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/03/2022_0309-trans-rights-400x300.jpg)
Idaho House Passes Dangerous Bill Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Kids
Parents who help their trans children attain such care, whether in Idaho or beyond, face a life sentence for doing so.