With the holiday break over, a number of state legislatures are reconvening starting this week to hold their 2025 sessions, and LGBTQ-related bills and policies are already on the docket in many states.
Massachusetts, Montana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia are all states where legislators have already started meeting again to consider legislation for the new year. According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, there have been 115 trans-specific bills prefiled in 2025 as of early this week. The state-level bills are especially heavily concentrated in places like South Carolina, Texas, and Missouri and would affect transgender people in various aspects of their lives such as in health care, education, and access to restrooms. Should the trend of bills follow like those introduced last year, other attacks may affect censorship in schools around LGBTQ issues and our community’s freedom of speech and expression more broadly.
Ricardo Martinez of Equality Texas speaks out at the Texas statehouse against anti-LGBTQ legislation in the previous legislative session (Courtesy GLAAD)
In Texas, anti-equality lawmakers proposed 32 anti-transgender bills on the very first day of pre-filing for 2025. It’s important to remember that the influx of bills can be partly attributed to Texas’ legislative session only taking place once every other year. Lawmakers are hurrying to make up for lost time, but advocates are continuing the work to limit the pathway forward for harm.
In Georgia, where the legislature returns to session on Jan. 13, lawmakers are expected to again consider anti-LGBTQ legislation that failed to become law last year, including codifying in the legislature a ban on allowing transgender youth to participate in school sports. Opponents of transgender inclusion claim to support the legislation to protect cisgender girls – yet studies show that when transgender students play sports, levels of participation go up for all students, including cisgender girls.
In Indiana, some lawmakers are seeking to expand existing restrictions on transgender participation in sports. HB 1041 would ban transgender students from participating in college sports and require notification by any team outside of the state engaged in competition about inclusion of a transgender participant. The measure will likely be brought to its first committee next week.
Despite what seems like a distressing landscape on the state level, there’s a lot of promise for wins in the courts in ways that are wider ranging in scope and magnitude than before, and which can slow down or negate the impact of state-level restrictions that are already in place. Most recently in mid-December, the Montana Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that blocked a state law prohibiting certain types of health care for transgender youth; and a state district court blocked enforcement of a ban on allowing transgender and nonbinary people to update their gender markets on drivers’ licenses and birth certificates.
These lower court decisions follow a pattern: In almost every case on transgender health care that has considered the benefits of health care for transgender people, federal courts have affirmed the importance of health care for transgender people — even among Republican- and Trump-appointed judges in conservative states.
ACLU attorney Chase Strangio with Peppermint outside the U.S. Supreme Court, December 4, 2024/Courtesy Getty Images
In just early December, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in U.S. v. Skrmetti, which challenges the constitutionality of a ban on health care for transgender youth in Tennessee while cisgender youth continue to enjoy access to the same care. According to Media Matters, the day of the oral argument led to a slew of major TV networks featuring transgender Americans that haven’t previously done so, increasing visibility and understanding about the community. The justices are expected to issue a ruling in June 2025 which could affect the status of bans in almost half the country.
In other good news, out LGBTQ state lawmakers who made history this past election are also beginning their terms in the upcoming weeks. These include Molly Cook, the first out LGBTQ member of the Texas State Senate; Kristin Alfheim, the first LGBTQ+ person to represent the Fox Valley in the Wisconsin State Senate; Rashaun Kemp, the first out gay Black man elected to the Georgia state legislature; and others who will proudly represent and build visibility for our community.
GLAAD is monitoring and will be raising awareness and actions in response to high-priority bill movement that affects our community. To keep track of when your state goes into session, check out the full calendar from the National Council of State Legislatures here; and sign up for GLAAD’s email list and social media channels to ensure you don’t miss any important updates.
President-elect Donald Trump and his team are swiftly revealing important Cabinet, White House, and other key nominations for his second term.
Trump’s LGBTQ record is documented on the GLAAD Accountability Tracker and includes a history of deploying policies across federal agencies to target LGBTQ people.
Attacked the Biden administration’s new guidance around Title IX protections in a letter to the Secretary of Education that includes the baseless assertion: “Equally disturbing is the likelihood that your department will weaponize Title IX to force a radical gender ideology in K-12 classrooms.” The letter misgendered trans students.
Attacked a drag artist and used her likeness, without permission, in a baseless campaign ad. The drag queen responded here.
Targeted drag at military bases, falsely claiming it exposed children to “sexually charged content,” causing the cancellation of Drag Queen Story Hour at a library on a U.S. Air Force base in Germany.
Ran advertisements across Florida with anti-trans rhetoric in his U.S. Senate campaign in 2022.
Called the Respect for Marriage Act “a stupid waste of time” and voted against it. The legislation was signed into law by President Biden.
Defended Florida’s anti-LGBTQ “don’t say gay/trans” legislation, and claimed the legislation addressed “instruction” on sexual orientation and gender identity in K-3 classrooms, without basis.
Actively fought against the legalization of same-sex marriage as Florida’s Attorney General, arguing that allowing same-sex marriage would cause “serious public harm.” She sought to uphold Florida’s ban on marriage equality until it was ultimately overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015. Prior to legal marriage equality same-sex couples could not access the legal benefits that come with marriage, including spousal rights in healthcare decisions, inheritance without a will, and tax benefits associated with marriage, and many states, including Florida, had laws that explicitly prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children or made it significantly more difficult for them to do so.
Requested that the Florida Supreme Court overrule a lower court decision that found the state’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional.
Said she would “vigorously defend Florida’s law banning gay adoption in our state.”
Following the 2016 Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, Bondi said, “Anyone who attacks our LGBT community, anyone who attacks anyone in our state, will be gone after with the full extent of the law.”
Voiced support for employment protections for LGBTQ workers.
Baselessly said transgender soldiers are “not deployable” because they are “reliant on chemicals” and suggested that women should not serve in certain combat roles. There is no evidence of this.
Baselessly said “being transgendered [sic] in the military causes complications and differences.”
Supported the Trump administration ban on transgender people from military service, stating that those with gender dysphoria should be expelled from the military and their healthcare eliminated. No evidence was ever produced demonstrating a need for the ban. 41 retired generals and admirals said the former president’s ban compromised military integrity. Service
Opposed the New York Times’s decision to announce same-sex marriages writing that it was a path to incest and bestiality.
As publisher of the conservative magazine The Princeton Tory, he railed against efforts to promote diversity on campus and what he described as the immoral “homosexual lifestyle.”
Repeatedly promoted the falsehood that HIV is not the cause of AIDS, instead attributing the condition to other factors such as recreational drug use, particularly amyl nitrite (“poppers”), and lifestyle stressors. This is AIDS denialism.
Ended his independent presidential campaign and endorsed Donald Trump, citing a “war on children” among his reasons for the endorsement. Kennedy has baseless theories that linkenvironmental chemicals to homosexuality or gender dysphoria.
Supports a ban on transgender health care for minors, a position that contradicts medical consensus. Health care for transgender people and youth is supported by every major medical association and leading health authority.
Tweeted misinformation about transgender health care for young people including that it involves “castration drugs (puberty blockers) and surgical mutilation.” This is baseless.
Agreed to be a featured speaker at a Moms for Liberty event called “Joyful Warriors” in 2023. Moms for Liberty is an anti-LGBTQ, a Southern Poverty Law Center-designatedextremist group, that purports to defend so-called “parental rights.” He later pulled out of the event citing a changed schedule.
Repeated a falsehood promoted by Peter Duesberg writing, “most HIV-infected Africans showed no sign of illness.” This is a lie. Estimates of tens of millions have died from AIDS in Africa over recent decades, and AIDS is now the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa.
Claimed that a common herbicide causes gender dysphoria. There is no evidence to indicate that the herbicide causes gender dysphoria in humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, “Most people are not exposed to atrazine on a regular basis.”
Signed into law a bill that permits public school teachers and state government employees to ignore the preferred pronouns of their transgender students and colleagues.
Signed two transgender athlete bans into law, prohibiting transgender girls and women from joining female sports teams in K–12 and college.
Signed a bill into law that restricts transgender health care in the state, immediately making it a crime to give gender-affirming care to people younger than 18.
Signed a total of eight discriminatory bills into law in 2023 including those above; restrictions on drag performances; a “religious refusal” bill permitting discrimination; and bills adding additional rules for gender markers on birth certificates that discriminate against transgender people.
Defied his party in a rebuke against an anti-LGBTQ resolution that was passed by hundreds of Republican legislators in the North Dakota legislature. Burgum said the resolution, which states that “LGBT practices are unhealthy and dangerous, sometimes endangering or shortening life and sometimes infecting society at large,” is homophobic and divisive.
Did not vote on Equality Act, which aimed to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in various areas, including employment and housing. His voting history reflects a consistent alignment with conservative policies that oppose LGBTQ rights.
Voted in favor of Trump’s military ban of transgender service personnel
Introduced legislation that would ban fetal genetic testing meant to determine sexual orientation. The restriction, he said, is necessary to “protect the lives of unborn gay children,” despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting the feasibility of such testing.
Is the chair of the board at the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank she launched with other former Trump administration officials in 2021. The nonprofit espouses an anti-trans stance, claiming to combat what it calls “radical gender ideology” and opposing initiatives that support LGBTQ rights. The organization has campaigned against policies that support transgender rights in education. This includes efforts to restrict participation of transgender athletes in sports and push back against federal protections for transgender students under Title IX. McMahon is one of three AFPI employees nominated to positions in the Trump cabinet, including Scott Turner for secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Brooke Rollins, nominee for Secretary of Agriculture.
—Criticized of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, stating in a Fox News op-edthat DEI measures are “not pertinent to the training of skilled workers” and that these policies “increase costs and administrative challenges across all apprenticeship programs.”
—During her tenure at WWE (1989–2009), McMahon oversaw homophobic and misogynisticcontent including matches that featured homophobic slurs and violent portrayals of LGBTQ characters, which perpetuated harmful stereotypes and contributed to a culture of intolerance in the wrestling community.
Vocal opponent of marriage equality. And after the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 in favor of marriage rights for same-sex couples, Collins said he would “strongly support a constitutional amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman.”
Voted against the Equality Act in 2019, which sought to amend the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. He baselessly argued the legislation would undermine women’s sports and promote harmful practices regarding children.
Co-sponsored the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, which aimed to protect individuals who oppose same-sex marriage on religious grounds.
Co-sponsored State Marriage Defense Act which would have defined the terms “spouse” and “marriage” when used in federal laws to always follow the definition used in the particular state where the law is applied.
Defended military chaplains who faced repercussions for expressing anti-LGBTQ views, indicating his support for so-called religious freedom in the military context.
Got A+ rating from anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America for his opposition to abortion as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee.
Voted against an amendment to legislation that would disallow discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
A transgender and gender nonconforming advocacy group, The Transformation Project, sued the state of South Dakota for terminating a contract with the organization, as reported by the Associated Press. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and her health secretary apologized for the incident and agreed to pay $300,000 for the settlement.
Signed two executive orders in 2021 banning transgender girls and women from competing on women’s sports teams at public high schools and colleges in South Dakota.
Signed into law HB 1080 banning age-appropriate, medically necessary transgender health care for transgender youth in South Dakota. Every major medical association and leading world health authority supports health care for transgender people and youth.
Celebrated the passage of a bill (HB 1217) that would have barred transgender girls and women from playing sports with other women, but later vetoed it citing potential legal backlash from the NCAA. However, she still supported the intent of the bill.
Signed a Religious Freedom Restoration Act in South Dakota, which LGBTQ advocates say sanctioned discrimination against queer people under the guise of upholding religious liberty.
Said he opposes an individual state’s right to recognize not only marriage equality, but even civil unions.
Was given an award by the anti-LGBTQ Family Research Council for his 100% record on “faith and family” issues, including his blocking of DOD funding for gender confirmation surgery.
Voted against a resolution expressing opposition to the Trump administration’s ban on transgender soldiers.
Lee Zeldin—Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
Proposed restrictions on sex education in schools that goes farther than Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay/Trans” law, which only explicitly affects students up to the third grade.
Cited ending “all indoctrination and brainwashing” on his education page, terms widely used by activists making inaccurate claims about policies that support LGBTQ students and families, and education about race and racism.
Signed the First Amendment Defense Act in 2015, which seeks to permit discrimination by individuals, many businesses, and non-profit organizations against same-sex couples
Introduced bill that ties Title IX protections for female athletes to “biological sex.” The bill would deny federal funding to schools that “permit a person whose biological sex at birth is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.”
Endorsed Florida’s House Bill 1557, the “Don’t Say Gay/LGBTQ” bill
Baselessly claimed that the LGBTQ community was trying to gain acceptance for pedophiles by labeling them “minor-attracted persons” and allowing them to teach in schools. There is no evidence for this.
Appeared with her father in an ad opposing same-sex marriage. She criticized “homosexual activists” who sought to “force their values down the throats of the children in our schools.”
Voted against the Equality Act in 2021 after previously voting in favor of it. The legislation had not substantially changed in the intervening years. The Equality Act is a bill that would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Withdrew her co-sponsorship of the Fairness for All Act, which would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to civil rights law.
Voted for the so-called Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which aims to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. She stated, “Our daughters should not be forced to compete against biological men in competitive sports.” Transgender women are women and some play sports.
Supported efforts to ban transgender health care for transgender youth and criticized what she called “radical ideology” in education regarding gender identity. Trans people are people, not an ideology. Every major medical association and leading world health authority supports health care for transgender people and youth.
Mehmet Oz—Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator
Opposed the Affordable Care Act, the law that expanded access to health insurance for millions of Americans and that outlawed rejecting people with preexisting medical conditions, or charging them more for insurance, a provision that disproportionately affected women and LGBTQ people.
Mocked his opponent John Fetterman’s disability during his Senate campaign in 2022.
Made the false claim that 80–85% of gender-dysphoric youth would revert to their gender assigned at birth without external influence, citing debunked data. Recent research indicatestrans youth are highly unlikely to reidentify with their assigned sex.
Trivialized the experiences of transgender youth by likening their struggles to a boy wearing his mother’s shoes. Such remarks could undermine the rights and protections of queer and trans individuals.
Platformed dangerous and discredited so-called “conversion therapy” on his show. He did not endorse the practice but including it legitimizes the harmful practices against LGBTQ people.
Said he would support legislation to bar transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
Russell Vought—Nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Key architect of Project 2025, a conservative policy initiative that includes proposals to roll back protections for LGBTQ individuals. This plan advocates for eliminating gender identity as a basis for rights and protections, effectively rejecting any recognition of transgender identities in policy and law. It calls for erasing terms including “abortion,” “reproductive health,” “gender,” and “gender equality” from “every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.” During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly claimed he “knew nothing about” Project 2025. Vought served as director and acting director of OMB during the first Trump term, and in his chapter of Project 2025 wrote “the President’s budget is in fact a powerful mechanism for setting and enforcing public policy at federal agencies.” More on Project 2025.
Used derogatory and inflammatory language regarding transgender issues, baselessly referring to transgender health care as “chemical castration,” and denouncing what he calls “transgender sewage” being introduced in schools.
Framed his opposition to LGBTQ rights within the context of religious freedom. He supports policies that allow individuals and organizations to deny services based on religious beliefs, which critics argue can lead to discrimination against LGBTQ people.
America First Policy Institute (AFPI) was founded in 2021 to promote Donald Trump’s agenda and is staffed with many who worked in the first Trump administration. Rollins is one of three AFPI employees nominated to positions in the Trump cabinet, including Scott Turner for secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Linda McMahon, chair of the AFPI board, for Education secretary.
AFPI has actively opposed so-called “radical gender ideology,” arguing that it is transforming American society negatively. They oppose health care for transgender youth, claiming these can lead to serious long-term health consequences. Transgender people are people, not an ideology. Every major medical association and leading world health authority supports health care for transgender people and youth.
AFPI fought against the Biden Administration’s proposed revisions to Title IX, which would expand protections against discrimination based on sex to include gender identity. AFPI argues that this change would force schools to treat transgender individuals according to their gender identity, which they oppose.
AFPI opposes participation by transgender women in women’s sports and makes the unfounded claim that transgender women in locker rooms and bathrooms are “biological males” that make women and girls vulnerable and create “opportunities for sexual assault, including rape.” “Biological sex” is not an accurate nor a scientific term, but is used by opponents of transgender people to dehumanize them and deny their equal access to society. There is no data of any kind to support the claim that inclusive bathrooms undermine anyone’s safety. Transgender people are also several times more likely to be the victims of violent crimes than those who are not transgender.
AFPI opposes the inclusion of LGBTQ topics in school curricula without parental consent.
Former President and Board member of Texas Public Policy Foundation, which has advocated for book bans and spread disinformation about health care for transgender people, which is supported by every major medical association.
Opposes same-sex marriage. He supported Missouri’s same-sex marriage ban. In 2015, he was involved in legal efforts to undermine marriage equality during his tenure as Solicitor General of Missouri, arguing for the state to determine marriage rights.
Filed a brief opposing President Biden’s Executive Order that aimed to redefine sexual discrimination to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Linked to campaigns that combine anti-abortion messaging with anti-transgender rhetoric. He contributed $100,000 to a political action committee aimed at opposing a Missouri amendment that would secure reproductive rights. This campaign has utilized baseless anti-transgender rhetoric, capitalizing on existing sentiments against transgender health care for minors, which is already restricted in the state.
Brendan Carr—Nominee for Commissioner of Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Pledged to eliminate the FCC’s support for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Contributed to Project 2025, a conservative policy initiative that outlines a strategy for reshaping the executive branch. This project includes sweeping proposals that would undermine protections for LGBTQ people.
Introduced the Recover Pride in Service Act, legislation aimed at automatically upgrading the dishonorable discharges of military members who were discharged due to their sexual orientation. This bill seeks to rectify past injustices related to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
Co-sponsored a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” backed by anti-LGBTQ groups that requires schools to consult with parents before allowing students to use different names or pronouns at school.
Voted for bills to ban transgender girls from playing girls’ sports and prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs from providing hormone therapy to transgender veterans or flying Pride flags.
Co-sponsored with House Resolution 734, a bill to prohibit schools from allowing transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports.
Harmeet Dhillon—Nominee for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
Represented client Chloe Cole, a prominent anti-trans detransitioner, in a lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente
Supported numerous lawsuits aimed at overturning protections for transgender individuals in states including California and Colorado.
Her organization, the Center for American Liberty, focuses on legal challenges against policies that affirm transgender rights, including “a lawsuit challenging a Colorado school’s use of a transgender student’s preferred name; a case against a California school district seeking to implement policies that would forcibly out transgender students; and a lawsuit against Vermont for denying a foster care license to a family unwilling to comply with nondiscrimination policies regarding transgender youth,” according to TruthOut.
Praised anti-LGBTQ extremist social media account Libs of TikTok, and supported their false and defamatory claims that trans-supportive parents “groomed” their children.
Said, without basis, that “Title IX was passed by Congress to protect women’s rights—not the rights of men pretending to be women.” In fact, transgender women are women, and some play sports.
Criticized efforts to support transgender youth, labeling them as “predatory.” Every major medical association and leading world health authority supports health care for transgender people and youth.
Says she has gay friends who are “appalled with the ‘BTQ+’ [bisexual, transgender, and queer] everything they keep adding to it.” Has stated that those same gay friends would oppose a nondiscrimination bill protecting them statewide, and says, “Sane, hard working gay men and women are fed up with being held hostage by the alphabet mafia.”
In a March interview on KNST radio, criticized schools that teach students about gender identity, stating that they are promoting “confusion.” “This is why it is so important, and maybe the most important, for people to run for school board, some people with sanity who aren’t going to push this on our children,” said Lake. “Can you imagine back while we were going to school if a teacher would have been talking about all of this crazy stuff? Gender identity? It’s just so lunatic.”
Tweeted in May that, “A child’s gender is determined by God at conception, NOT by some Woke Teacher in the 3rd grade. This insanity must end,” falsely implying that schools are somehow responsible for creating transgender youth.
Scapegoated the LGBTQ community, writing, “They kicked God out of schools and welcomed the Drag Queens. They took down our Flag and replaced it with a rainbow. They seek to disarm Americans and militarize our Enemies. Let’s bring back the basics: God, Guns & Glory.”
Been a prominent figure in election denialism, particularly following her loss in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race. Lake raised $2.5 million after Election Day, largely from supporters outside Arizona who responded to her claims that the election was stolen from her. She consistently refused to concede, asserting that the election was “one of the most dishonest” in Arizona’s history.
Filed multiple lawsuits attempting to overturn the election results, alleging issues such as improper signature verification and faulty voting machines. These lawsuits have been consistently rejected by the courts.
There are important, commonsense things LGBTQ people and families can do to protect themselves to ensure our identities, families, and wishes are legally clear and respected.
For decades, LGBTQ legal organizations and advocates have set the foundation and created pathways forward for us as LGBTQ people to be safe and recognized. Those include the ACLU LGBTQ & HIV Project, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, GLAD Law, the Transgender Law Center, and more.
Some recommendations include:
Keep physical and electronic copies of key documents, such as your marriage certificate, in multiple places. It never hurts to have documentation in case you need to show proof of your relationship or family status.
Establish health care proxies and medical or financial powers of attorney, should an accident or emergency happen to you or your spouse, especially if you have children.
There are an increasing number of avenues to becoming a parent, but parentage may be challenged without a court order. Have a legally protected relationship with your children, whether you are married or not, by getting a court judgment or equivalent. Those orders are proof of legal parentage that provide the most legal security and must be recognized across all 50 states. They can be helpful on issues related to education, health insurance, Social Security benefits, inheritance, and more. The process for obtaining parentage orders takes place in family court and varies from state to state. Specific details can be found here: https://familyequality.org/resources/securing-lgbtq-parentage-by-state-stepparent-second-parent-and-confirmatory-adoption/
If you are transgender, make sure your gender markers and identification documents are up to date. Have physical and electronic copies of all your legal documents including your name change order, and your new and old IDs.
If you transitioned after a marriage, you may be able to amend your name on your original marriage license.
If you transitioned after becoming a parent, there may be avenues in your state to amend and/or align your parentage order with your identification documents as much as possible.
You may want to have medical documents on file with your doctors, such as advance directives and medical power of attorney, to avoid having to scramble in a crisis. For example, if you want to continue receiving trans health care if you are in a coma, you can spell that out or other wishes. Visit CaringInfo.org which is a helpful resource on this topic.
Queer and transgender parents may encounter bias in the context of an investigation by child protective services. If you learn you are being investigated, document everything. Look into getting an attorney immediately – don’t wait until a case is filed against you in court. The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLAD Law can offer technical assistance.
If you made a will in one state and then move to another one, it’s recommended to connect with an estate attorney to make sure your will aligns with the new state’s requirements.
Don’t let money deter you from seeking resources. You can find pro bono lawyers, you can request waivers for legal fees, you can self-represent yourself in court. Voluntary acknowledgments in particular are very accessible. You can find attorney referrals through Lambda Legal, ACLU, and NCLR’s hotlines.
Right now there is a lot of uncertainty. It’s hard to provide broad legal advice without knowing individual circumstances, but what we do know is that LGBTQ people and advocates have faced hostility before; and have long been in the work of supporting each other.
The most important thing people can do is connect with your local community, including your state equality group if one exists in your state, CenterLink: the Community of LGBTQ Centers, and your local PFLAG and ACLU chapters, who have been doing this work for a long time and will continue to do work to support local LGBTQ residents. They will be able to provide localized resources and support, and know best what is permissible in your individual jurisdiction.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in the case of U.S. v. Skrmetti, a significant case that may profoundly affect the accessibility of health care for transgender youth and their families across the country, as well as the autonomy of health care providers to deliver such care.
The plaintiffs, families of transgender youth and a medical provider, are challenging Tennessee’s law banning health care such as hormone therapy and puberty-pausing medications for transgender youth under 18, even when that treatment is medically warranted and sanctioned by their parents. The same treatments are not banned for cisgender (non-transgender) youth.
Following oral arguments, CNN’s Brianna Keilar hosted Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) president Kristen Waggoner. ADF was described as a Christian legal organization that is representing other states with similar cases. In fact, ADF is an anti-LGBTQ hate group, as designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and has a history of funding and representing cases targeting LGBTQ people, youth and protections. ADF has fought alongside the first Trump administration’s Justice Department to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ people:
at work (Bostock)
against same-sex couples trying to buy a wedding cake (Masterpiece)
couples looking to adopt children (Fulton)
303 Creative, a case that the Washington Post reported included “manufacturing lawsuits” to find plaintiffs to sue, ending up with a website designer who was never asked to perform services for LGBTQ clients.
No transgender people appeared to challenge Waggoner’s claims, including the baseless assertion that patients are incapable of understanding the consequences of medical care. Transgender youth seeking care must have parental consent to receive it.
ADF is among several groups with a long history of activism against LGBTQ Americans that filed amicus briefs in the Skrmetti case. Media reporting on the case and support for the bans that are supported by every major medical association can report on the records of the groups and their longstanding animus against LGBTQ people. GLAAD has documented these records on the GLAAD Accountability Project, including:
—Advocated for President Trump’s ban on transgender people in the military and bragged of White House connections just prior to the ban.
—Publishes brochures, videos, and other materials for parents and other school anti-trans activists, such as the 2016 “Parents Guide to the Transgender Movement in Education,” which misgenders trans people and encourages parents to oppose gender-affirming care backed by every major medical association as best practice, lifesaving care
—Supports so-called “conversion therapy,” and encourages children to ignore classmates’ pronouns, despite research showing that using accurate pronouns improves mental health.
—Describes the Equality Act, which would provide comprehensive protections from discrimination for LGBTQ people as “unequal, unfair, and unjust.”
—Filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court against marriage equality in support of California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act, both since nullified.
—Baselessly claimed that “one of the primary goals of the homosexual rights movement is to abolish all age of consent laws and to eventually recognize pedophiles as the ‘prophets’ of a new sexual order.”
—Promotes the “ex-gay” movement as a way to combat LGBTQ civil rights measures and refutesthe claims of victims of abusive, so-called “conversion therapy.”
—Fringe medical group that split with the mainstream American Academy of Pediatrics to protest its support of LGBTQ couples adopting children
—Colluded with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) using junk science to propagate anti-transgender policy
—Made false claims about evidence-based gender-affirming care to support Texas authorities targeting families of transgender children
—Sued the Department of Health and Human Services with Alliance Defending Freedom objecting to gender-affirming care for any patient including children
—Made false claims about LGBTQ people’s mental health and fitness as parents, claims debunked by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association
—Colluded with the American College of Pediatricians (ACP) to shore up anti-transgender policy efforts and legal arguments with junk science
—Multiple lawsuits, including false claims, to prevent transgender students from participating in sports
—Represented multiple educators who refused to use accurate pronouns and names of transgender students. Research shows using accurate pronouns and names reduces suicide risk for vulnerable youth.
—Testified in the Ohio legislature to spread misinformation about gender affirming care for youth, which is supported by every major medical association
—Argued in court for the criminalization of homosexuality in amicus briefs for the U.S. Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas
—As early as 2010 began sending letters threatening libraries to ban books with LGBTQ inclusive content and characters
—Represented “conversion therapy” practitioners in lawsuits, a practice discredited by mental health and medical professionals as harmful and ineffective.
—Helped draft bills in Idaho, Montana, and other states targeting trans youth participation in school sports
—Drafted the model “Student Privacy Act” legislation that led to a wave of “bathroom bills” in 2017
—Defended state-enforced sterilization for transgender Europeans
—For years has promoted the idea of “homosexual agenda,” a purportedly evil plan to abolish Christianity and, eventually, civilization through LGBTQ people’s efforts to secure legal equality
—Falsely declared that LGBTQ people are more likely to engage in pedophilia
—Multiple efforts to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ couples by businesses
—Advised Ohio lawmakers on strategies to advance bills banning transgender students from using bathrooms matching their gender identity, and prohibiting transgender health care for youth.
—Created the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” legislation that defines sex strictly as the biological sex assigned at birth, and excludes transgender identities. Versions of this bill have been introduced in multiple states (and have reached the U.S House and Senate) to restrict the rights of transgender individuals.
—In an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, misgendered the plaintiff writing, “Simply, Aimee Stephens is a man.”
—Opposes the Equality Act
—Filed a joint brief in opposition to a lower court ruling in favor of Gavin Grimm, a trans boy who desired to use the boys’ restroom at his high school.
These organizations’ so-called “concerns” about trans kids are not new, and their anti-LGBTQ actions represent a longheld pattern. These groups have a long history of promoting discrimination against queer and transgender people.
The media have a responsibility to do their homework on their guests including researching and including the history of groups advocating against LGBTQ people. The GLAAD Accountability Project has profiles of public figures and groups and their records of targeting LGBTQ people. Journalists should challenge any unfounded and baseless claims. Media coverage of the issues facing transgender people should include the voices of transgender people.
Every major medical association and world health authority supports healthcare for transgender people. Accurately report there is widely-held consensus about the safety and efficacy of this mainstream care. Statements from medical associations and world health authorities here.
LGBTQ people and allies are speaking out about the upcoming groundbreaking oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court regarding access to health care for transgender youth.
The case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, challenges Tennessee’s law banning health care such as hormone therapy and puberty-pausing medications for transgender youth under 18, while the same treatments remain available to cisgender (non-transgender) youth. The law also criminalizes doctors and providers who seek to support transgender youth. As the ban is one of approximately 25 such bans passed in Republican-controlled state legislatures around the country in recent years, the Court’s decision could have a widespread impact on the availability of care to all youth nationwide.
The stakes are high for transgender people and their loved ones, and for everyone who cares about freedom and the ability to take care of their families without government interference. Experts and members of the transgender community spoke out about the significance of the case and their personal stories on a recent media briefing hosted by GLAAD, the American Civil Liberties Union, the GenderCool Project, and the Fenway Institute.
Sruti Swaminathan (they/them), a staff attorney with the ACLU National, kicked off the briefing by outlining the basics of the case and potential impact, particularly in the current landscape as we prepare for the next presidential administration to take office.
“The misinformation stemming from the Trump campaign and soon to be administration with respect to transgender identities and the demonization of the medical care that transgender people access has a catastrophic impact on the way non-transgender individuals and individuals who have the least amount of knowledge about us view these issues,” Swaminathan explained.
“It is going to be more important than ever to center trans voices in the media and elevate trans stories in daily interactions. Litigation will be essential, but it will not be enough. We will engage on every advocacy front, including mobilizing and organizing our network of millions of ACLU members and activists in every state to work to protect LGBTQ people from the dangerous policies of a second Trump administration.”
Kai (he/him), a 21-year-old college senior and GenderCool Project Champion, transitioned at 10 years old and is thriving today due in large part to the lifesaving health care and support he received. He’s passionate about GenderCool’s work to embrace positive storytelling around young people to dispel misinformation, and urges media coverage and people talking about this landmark case to do the same.
Transgender Flag, Getty
“What’s going to move viewers is seeing our faces, hearing our voices, and feeling the impact that these unjust laws are going to have on real human beings,” Kai said as he urged reporters to focus on the humanity at the center of the case. “Most importantly, allow these trans voices to shine through by truthfully articulating their lived experience; give them the stage to do that. Facts don’t always elicit the emotions we need to tell with this story. Sometimes we find ourselves so caught up in the stats and the legal jargon, and we forget what’s really at stake here especially with this case: the lives of young people who are just trying to be their authentic selves.”
Katie Jenifer (she/they) also participated in the briefing. Katie is a lawyer living in North Carolina and parent of a GenderCool Champion named Maddie, who she describes as a “smart, witty, very loving 17-year-old; and she is also thriving.” Maddie is co-captain of her school cheer team, enjoys embracing her creative side, and has just finished sending off college applications where she aspires to study nursing. Katie described their experiences with the media and shared that they have not always been positive due to a lack of respect for their privacy, and offered tips to journalists for their coverage.
“What I would like people to know is we’re just a regular family,” Katie said. “We’re just trying to figure out life with a teenage daughter and her college-aged sister. We make decisions about our daughters just like I imagine most families do. What should curfew be? What are acceptable school grades? How much is too much screen time? Just like other families, we try to make the best and most informed decisions that we can so we as her parents can raise a happy, healthy, kind, safe member of society.”
Katie agreed with Kai that access to health care has had a tremendous effect on her daughter’s ability to be happy and successful.
Families could be heavily affected by the outcome of this case, but so will affirming doctors and health care providers who know that care should be between families and medical experts that they trust, not the government. Sean Cahill (he/him) is the director of health policy research at the Fenway Institute, which focuses on LGBTQI+ health equity. About half of Fenway Health’s 35,000 patients are LGBTQI+ and 6,000 are transgender or nonbinary, while Sean works in the research arm of the institute which has been tracking the hundreds of bills introduced in state legislatures this year to harm transgender people.
“I don’t think it’s an accident that we see this rise in anti-transgender activism starting in 2015, the year that won full equality for same-sex marriage,” Sean explains, pointing out the trend of anti-transgender bills proposed in various areas over the past decade before spiking in the area of health care. The attacks, while vile, are part of a backlash of the overall increasing visibility and acceptance for transgender and LGBTQ people overall, according to GLAAD’s most recent Accelerating Acceptance survey.
With the wide scope of potential outcomes related to the case, it’s hard to speculate on what the justices will do. What we do know is that the most powerful thing LGBTQ people and our allies can do is to tell our personal stories of love and support for our transgender friends, neighbors, coworkers, and community members, and to share our kindness and understanding in order to move the court of public opinion. We have resilience and strength, and we need to show the next generation of transgender and nonbinary youth in this moment, and always, that we will be here for them.
In multiple states this election year, voters signaled an overall shift away from “parents’ rights” issues, fear mongering, and partisan politics, including the rejection of anti-trans candidate for North Carolina governor Mark Robinson as well as other state and local educational posts.
North Carolina voters also rejected Moms for Liberty-endorsed Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Michele Morrow, whose campaign and record was nearly equally as disturbing as Robinson’s
Morrow’s anti-LGBTQ record included a defamatory rant against opponent Mo Green, who received the endorsement of state LGBTQ organization Equality North Carolina. Morrow falsely and dangerously misrepresented the plus symbol in LGBTQ+ in a post on Twitter/X: “NEWSFLASH…the ‘+’ includes PEDOPH*L*A!!” The American Psychological Association notes that the plus is often added “to recognize those not captured within or represented by the acronym LGBTQ,” including asexual, intersex, and nonbinary people.
Michele Morrow launches an anti-LGBTQ rant against opponent Mo Green. (Credit: QnotesCarolinas)
In a recorded clip on her website and YouTube, Morrow addressed a school board, laying bare her values under the guise of “protecting our children.”
“We are talking about trying to figure out how to make our children be as successful as possible, and I am sure that that is your goal. And what we have been called tonight is what they’re claiming we’re saying to children. We’re having an adult conversation,” Morrow said. “There are not children in this room. We aren’t going into the schools and calling them names. They call us Marxist, and hateful, and bigots, and everything else under the sun. Well, let me tell ‘ya: Less than five percent of the entire population of North Carolina identifies as LGBTQ. You guys all claim you want democracy. You know what democracy is? It’s the majority plus one! It’s 50 plus one! You know what? More than 50 percent of the people in this state claim that they believe in God – almighty God, who made us male and female. God who made marriage between a man and a woman. God who said that we must protect our children.”
Morrow had also falsely labeled the public schools she wanted to lead as “indoctrination centers,” while her record included participation in the January 6insurrection, and called for the execution of former President Barack Obama. Political comedy channel The Good Liarsheld Morrow accountable for her actions.
The Good Liars confronts Michele Morrow over threatening Tweets she made against former President Barack Obama. (Credit: The Good Liars on X)
In a viral clip, Jason Selvig approached Morrow with printed copies of her threatening tweets under the guise of requesting an autograph. After stroking her ego, he read the now-deleted social media posts back to her, word for word, before making a hasty escape.
Morrow ultimately lost the race to Mo Green, who captured just over 51 percent of the vote.
Maurice Green received a majority of the vote, 51.1%, in the race for North Carolina Superintendent, narrowly defeating opponent Michele Morrow.
Green served as superintendent to North Carolina’s third-largest school district, Guilford County Schools, and was Executive Director of Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, which “has invested more than $691 million into North Carolina” to “address the impact of racism ingrained in state institutions — including schools — and support ideas aimed at mitigating hate’s effect on policy and people.”
Green’s platform includes a promise to “celebrate the good in public education” and “ensure safe, secure learning environments,” and opposes The Parental Bill of Rights, which bans discussion about gender identity and sexuality in K-4 classrooms, and requires that schools out students to their parents if they request a change to their name or pronouns.
Green, nominee for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, holds a news conference. (Credit: NC Newsline)
“Every child deserves to learn, and every staff member deserves to work, in an environment that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive,” Green said.
State’s Most Populous County Wakes up, Rejects Several Anti-Trans Candidates
Also in North Carolina, three of four Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidates were defeated in races for Wake County Board of Education:
District 5: Incumbent Lynn Edmonds “soundly” defeated Ted Hills. During her first term, Edmonds “voted, alongside the board’s six other Democrats, to bring the school system into compliance with new, federally-mandated protections for LGBTQ students.” Hills opposed the Title IX updates.
District 6: Sam Hershey, an anti-book book ban advocate, beat challenger Josh Points “by a 40-point margin.” Hershey voiced support for compliance with federally-mandated Title IX updates.
District 8: Lindsay Mahaffey, who was endorsed by the Equality North Carolina PAC, was elected to her fifth term. Her opponent Elizabeth McDuffie rejected Title IX protections for transgender students and campaigned alongside Michele Morrow.
District 3 incumbent Wing Ng was the only anti-LGBTQ candidate elected, but his victory was narrow. INDY Weekreports that Equality North Carolina PAC-endorsed Jordyn Blaise lost “by a razor-thin margin of just about one point.” Lastly, Toshiba Rice won her bid for reelection to District 4. Rice voted to support compliance with the Biden-Harris Administration’s federal Title IX updates.
Equality Victories in the Sunshine State
While Florida’s 60 percent supermajority requirement led to narrow losses for abortion rights (57.2 percent voted in favor of expanding access to abortion) and legalized recreational marijuana (55.9 were in favor), a GOP-supported proposed constitutional amendment that would have led to partisan school board races also lost. In their rejection of this amendment, the League of Women Voters of Florida and other opponents said, “schools should not be politicized and everyone should be welcome at schools regardless of party affiliation.”
Katie Blaxberg defeated DeSantis and M4L-endorsed Stacy Geier for Pinellas County School Board by over four percentage points (52.06% to 47.94%).
Michelle Bonczek bested Mark Cioffi, who was endorsed by DeSantis, by nearly 10 percent (54.99% to 45.01%).
Meanwhile, Equality Florida (EQFL) saw significant growth in their political representation. With the organization’s leadership on the ground, they doubled the number of LGBTQ legislators in the statehouse, one of their explicit goals for the election. But they didn’t only make gains in the statehouse. All told, more than 85 EQFL-endorsed candidates, including eight members of the LGBTQ community, were elected to office.
“In the fight against extremist takeovers of Florida school boards, voters rejected DeSantis’s culture wars and divisive agenda,” Equality Florida said. “This year, we delivered DeSantis and Moms for Liberty a string of humiliating school board defeats. Nearly two-thirds of DeSantis-backed school board candidates lost their races this year. Meanwhile, over 72% of Equality Florida Action PAC endorsed school board candidates won their elections. This progress is proof of the power of resistance. We are turning the tide, even when it feels like everything is stacked against us.”
Propelling the “Relentless Flow of Acceptance”
Journalist and transgender rights activist Erin Reed has been tracking the resultsof down-ballot races throughout the country.
“Even in affirming states, school boards can make life difficult for LGBTQ+ students,” Reed wrote in her newsletter, “or, in states with anti-trans and anti-queer legislation, they can push back against restrictive policies.”
Erin Reed and fiancée Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr celebrate after Reed wins a GLAAD Media Award for her Erin in the Morning blog. (Credit: ErinInTheMorning on X)
Reed’s reports on social media include LGBTQ news with an emphasis on transgender rights. In a post-election message of support to her trans and queer readers, she drew parallels between the 2024 election and the fight for marriage equality in the early 2000s that pushed on despite setbacks.
After former President George W. Bush was reelected in 2004, “he delivered a State of the Union speech where he said, for instance, that he will enshrine a constitutional ban on gay marriage into United States law,” Reed said. “And I could stop there. I could say that there are people that likely did stop there, that saw this and said that there was no future, but you cannot stop the relentless flow of time. You cannot stop the relentless flow of acceptance.”
Stand with Trans, founded in 2015 by Roz Keith, is a nonprofit based in Farmington, Michigan helping trans youth “build resilience, gain confidence and find hope for a future filled with joy.”
Keith launched the organization when she was in search of resources for her own child who, in 2013, came out as transgender.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual programming with a blend of in-person programming has helped to maximize their reach and potential as an organization. As a result, the group has expanded accessibility to be a global force for transgender empowerment and erase stigma surrounding trans identities, all while equipping and supporting families of all backgrounds, shapes and sizes. Each year, Keith and her staff pick a new theme for Transgender Week of Empowerment. This year the conference’s 2024 theme is “Beyond the Binary.”
This theme introduces important topics from autonomy in healthcare, Democracy, reproductive health, parenting, substance use, sports, sibling, parent, and grandparent ally panels, media representation talks and so much more.
“I have loved being in touch with so many folks from the trans community and our allies while putting the programming together. Everyone I’ve spoken with is excited and motivated to support trans and nonbinary youth,” Dubbs Weinblatt, Transgender Empowerment Month program coordinator, told GLAAD.
Raving over the words of Sen. Sarah McBride and others at the launch party, Keith said the start of this year’s event is amazing so far. Scheduled speakers include RuPaul Drag Race Alum, Peppermint, Equality Michigan’s Emme Zannotti, and former Muslim Youth Leadership Council (MYLC) member, Ameera Khan, and so many more.
“We really want to explore the diversity of gender, the intersectionality of different identities, and provide an opportunity for young people to feel like they can connect,” Keith said about this year’s theme, “where they can be inspired, they can have models of possibility for adult caregivers. It’s a place for them to come and learn, and get that education in a credible space.”
In the first year, the Transgender Empowerment Month conference was made up of 45 young people, all trans identified. Keith said many youth were nervous about what to expect, but each year since 2015 the conference has only grown, outsized venues, and broadened the community, says Keith.
The importance of the conference then and now is to allow transgender youth to have a space that’s organized for them to experience.
Logann Finkel met Roz in 2018. “I was transitioning and I was looking for support getting to and from my doctor’s appointments, and somebody had mentioned [that] there is this group, and you could reach out,” Finkel told GLAAD.
That group was Stand With Trans. From Michigan, Keith found someone in New Jersey that could help take Finkel to and from their transgender healthcare appointments.
Since they met, Finkel has been presenting at Transgender Empowerment Month, but this year, they’re excited to be an observer and a participant.
Like Keith, Finkel praised the launch of Transgender Empowerment Month 2024 and the programming ahead. Programming was paused between Oct. 2 and Oct. 4 for Rosh Hashanah observance, and resumed on Oct. 6 in the Jewish New Year with an open mic night.
“The guest speakers [on Oct. 1] were fantastic. It was done in a way that built so much excitement and interest in what we’re about to embark on over this month,” Finkel said. “I would just say I’m really excited.”
There will be more than 30 panels, workshops, and programming strewn throughout the entire month, and people can register at any point in October here.
In honor of National Coming Out Day (October 11) and Spirit Day (October 17), GLAAD together with eharmony has released a report which explores the ways dating apps and pop culture intersect with how the LGBTQ community shares their identities in their dating lives.
The report unpacks brand new insights from the LGBTQ community (age 18+) and includes tips from Alex Schmider, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Entertainment & Transgender Inclusion.
eharmony.com
Some key findings from the report include:
Trans and Nonbinary daters:
The #1 reason transgender and nonbinary people reported not disclosing their gender is that they might be fetishized (45%)
Concerns of being bullied rose 3x higher among transgender participants compared to cis participants
58% find it hard to know who will be accepting of their gender
53% feel like an after-thought by dating app companies
41% feel unwanted by cis people
Bi+ Daters:
74% of all LGBTQ+ respondents say that bisexuality is still misunderstood in our society
When cis gay men and lesbians were asked about their feelings dating a bisexual person, 87% said they were open to it
43% said that indicating their sexuality on dating profiles gives them more options and helps them confirm who is interested in them
42% said they don’t like having to interact with straight people on dating apps
30% reported men tend to fetishize them
26% reported feeling judged by others in the LGBTQ+ community
eharmony.com
WLW Daters:
Many cis women are turning to dating apps to not only explore their sexual orientation and gender identity (41%), but to authentically express themselves when dating someone as their true selves (45%)
61% report having deeper emotional intimacy when dating women
Several myths and stereotypes about sapphic relationships were debunked by the study as well:
U-Hauling: Only 26% of cis lesbian and gay women report moving in together too quickly. “U-Hauling” isn’t as pervasive as we thought.
Lesbian Bed Death: Only 33% of cis lesbian and gay women said sex life declines over time when dating the same person, and 43% said they have a better sex life because their partners understand their body.
Friend-zoning: Just over one-quarter, 28% said they can’t get out of the friendzone.
Is there really a Masc Lesbian shortage? This past summer there was social media chatter regarding a lack of masc lesbians, but only 17% said they have experienced this
“eharmony continues to be an incredible example of what brands can achieve when choosing to responsibly support and serve their LGBTQ audiences and consumers, especially in the face of anti-LGBTQ attacks on corporate inclusion,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Together with GLAAD, eharmony’s new study measuring dating and pop culture sentiment will have a profound impact on expanding our understanding of the roles dating apps play in the coming out process and sharing identities. Coinciding with National Coming Out Day and Spirit Day, organized by GLAAD, this research underscores the fact that while there is no correct timeline for coming out, LGBTQ people must feel safe and supported in the coming out process, no matter how or where they decide to.”
via Getty Images
“Younger generations are more likely to be LGBTQ than the generations before them. While the LGBTQ community, including our corporate allies, is facing extraordinary levels of legislative and cultural backlash, LGBTQ people are wanting places to feel safe and be able to be fully themselves,” Ellis said. “Providing places that not only invite and welcome LGBTQ people, but also take measures to protect and support their belonging will not only bring about connection online but create a more accepting world outside.”
via Getty Images
“While we know that storytelling allows LGBTQ+ people to more clearly see themselves and be seen by others, we cannot underestimate the power of out and visible LGBTQ+ people in our culture who impact the way LGBTQ+ people feel about themselves, particularly those who are transgender,” Alex Schmider stated. 75% of respondents said that seeing transgender people in the media gives them more confidence. According to Schmider, “It’s not always been the case that LGBTQ+ people could be out as public figures but as they are, more LGBTQ+ people relate to and can find confidence in their examples.”
In 1991, the Filipino American National Historical Society proposed the first annual Filipino American History Month to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos on October 18, 1587. It became official when the 111th Congress introduced and passed a resolution in 2009 officially recognizing Filipino American History Month.
This Filipino-American History Month, GLAAD is shining a spotlight on the queer Filipino-Americans history makers! With activists, producers, journalists, film and television directors, and more, Filipino-Americans are everywhere making their mark upon the world. Join us on GLAAD social media to hear from current Filipino-Americans who are making this world queer, one day at a time.
Alec Mapa
One of the original queer Filipino faces in Hollywood. He hosted hosted GLAAD Media Award winning show “Transamerican Love Story” and had roles in shows like “Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty,” and “Half-And-Half.” He has also been a judge multiple times on RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, and other branches of the franchise.
Geena Rocero
Geena is an international model and TV producer who shot to world acclaim with her vulnerable TEDx Talk where she came out as a transgender woman. Since then, she has advocated for transgender rights at the United Nations headquarters and the World Economic Forum, and the White House, graced the pages of Playboy as Playmate of the Month in August 2019 (and also becoming the first openly transgender Filipina model on the publication), and produced-and-directed the four part documentary series, “Caretakers” – which highlighted Filipino Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Glamour Magazine – Geena Rocero
Maria Ressa
Being a Filipino American often means always having ties and work back home. As editor-in-chief and CEO of the Philippine news site Rappler, she led her team in dauntlessly seeking and speaking the truth – even in the face of a government and environment that has been fatally dangerous to journalists. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for her heroic work and, along with her company Rappler, was the subject of the Sundance Film Festival documentary, A Thousand Cuts (available to stream on PBS). She is currently on GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Index Advisory Committee.
Maria Ressa (courtesy of Denise Applewhite of Princeton University)
Richard Adams
In 1975, Richard Adams made history when he and his partner, Anthony Sullivan, got married in Boulder, Colorado. They are one of the first gay couples in the country to be granted a marriage license. Through this license, Adams, a Filipino-American, hoped to get permanent residency for Sullivan, an Australian. However, they were denied and the notification from the Immigration and Naturalization Service used a slur as part of their reasoning why. In 1979, Adams filed the first lawsuit in America to seek recognition of a same-sex marriage by the federal government. Adams v Howerton was ultimately denied in 1982. It wasn’t until 2014, after Adams had died in 2012, that the USCIS approved the 1975 visa petition. Sullivan received his permanent residency status in 2016. The documentary, Limited Partnership, is a documentary telling the couple’s story.
Richard Adams (left) and Anthony Sullivan (right)
Ongina
RuPaul’s Drag Race is a global phenomenon that has earned multiple Emmy Awards and GLAAD Media Awards over its 15-year-and-counting run. Before it became the media powerhouse that it was, it started off as an aspiring competition show with a now infamous “season 1 filter.” Among the very first set of contestants was Ongina – a proud Filipina drag queen known for her signature bald head. She may not have won the crown but she won many of the audience’s hearts for her advocacy as an HIV positive individual on national television back in 2009 when stigma was a lot higher than it is today.
Jose Antonio Vargas
A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, film maker and immigration rights activist, Jose Antonio Vargas is the founder of Define American, a non-profit dedicated to “humanizing the immigrant narrative, one store at a time.” Born in the Philippines, he moved to America at the age of 12. In 2011, he revealed his undocumented immigrant status. A year after his Time cover story about his immigration status, the Obama administration announced it would be halting the deportation of undocumented immigrants age 30 and under, for they would qualify for the DREAM Act. Vargas, who was 31, did not qualify. Additionally, in 2015, Vargas directed and starred in the Daytime Emmy nominated documentary, White People. He was co-producer for the first Broadway production to feature an all Filipino cast, Here Lies Love.
The 2024 election is consequential for LGBTQ people and our equality. LGBTQ voters are poised again to be the decisive edge in close-contest states in the presidential race as well as the elections that will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
But it’s not just about choosing candidates. Here are issues and proposals up for a vote that will have an impact on the LGBTQ community, including in the battleground states and states that have passed legislation targeting LGBTQ people.
According to the results of a GLAAD and Pathfinder poll released earlier this year, abortion is the second most important issue for LGBTQ voters in the 2024 election. LGBTQ people can and do get pregnant and need reproductive health care. Many of the same states with abortion bans also have enacted bans and restrictions on transgender health care.
According to the results of a GLAAD and Pathfinder poll conducted earlier this year, abortion is the second most important issue in the 2024 election.
Ten states have ballot initiatives to protect access to abortion, including the battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada, as well as Colorado, Florida, Maryland, and New York. Nebraska has competing ballot initiatives – one expanding access to abortion, one restricting it to the first trimester of pregnancy. Since the Dobbs decision, voters in every state with ballot initiatives have passed expanded protections and access to reproductive care – eight elections and counting.
Arizona
Proposition 139: Amend the state constitution to define as fundamental the right to abortion“through fetal viability,” or about 24 weeks. Current law allows for abortions “until 15 weeks of pregnancy.” In April, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled 4-2 to uphold an 1864 law “prohibiting abortion in most circumstances except to save the life of the mother.” The following month, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs cast her signature to revoke the law.
“This election is more than a presidential election. In Arizona, like many states, the outcomes of these ballot initiatives could drastically change rights and freedoms granted to individuals in our state including the quality and availability of reproductive health care for Arizona families,” said Michael Soto, president of Equality Arizona.
“Make sure you don’t forget to vote on the ballot initiatives like Prop 139, in fact the most effective way to vote this year in Arizona is to start with the propositions and work your way up to the presidential race. Our rights and freedoms are on the line, and your vote will matter more than it ever has in this election.”
Arizona’s U.S. Senate race features Rep. Ruben Gallego and former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. Lake has promised to make Arizona a “sanctuary state” for the unborn, called abortion the “ultimate sin” and endorsed a federal ban on abortion before flipping support. Rep. Gallego supports Prop 139 and “restoring abortion access” in Arizona.
GLAAD has documented the LGBTQ records of Gallego and Lake.
Colorado
Amendment 79: Protect Coloradans’ right to abortion and prevent governmental interference, denial, or discrimination. Allow for Medicare and other state-funded insurance to “cover abortion services.” As a constitutional amendment, this proposal requires at least 55% voter approval to pass.
Florida
Amendment 4: Add abortion protections to the Florida Constitution’s Declaration of Rights. A “yes” vote would enshrine abortion protections “before viability” or to protect the health of the patient. Unchanged will be a current provision requiring parents “to be notified before a minor can receive an abortion.” Recent polling shows 76% of voters expressed support for the proposal. Florida currently has a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, one of the strictest bans in the country, as well as a ban on health care for transgender people, which can currently be enforced as the law is appealed.
Florida’s incumbent Sen. Rick Scott is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate. Scott has backed Florida-based anti-LGBTQ extremist book banning group Moms for Liberty, and opposes Florida’s Amendment 4.
In recent years, The Hill reports, Floridians passed amendments restoring voting rights to felons who have served their time, voted to increase the minimum wage, and legalized medicinal marijuana.
In 2023, Illinois’ legislature passed, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law, a bill enshrining the right to abortion and maternity care. The bill was sponsored by out state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who said: “While all around us opponents are using misinformation and misogyny to justify attacks on bodily autonomy, I’m proud that here in Illinois, we’ve declared unequivocally that we trust patients and doctors to make these decisions safely and privately.”
Maryland
Question 1: Enshrine reproductive freedom rights within the Maryland Constitution’s Declaration of Rights. The right to reproductive freedom includes, “the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.” A simple majority is needed for the measure to pass.
Maryland’s race for U.S. Senate includes former Gov. Larry Hogan, who vetoed a bill to expand access to abortion in 2022. His opponent, Prince George’s County Chief Executive Angela Alsobrooks, said Hogan would be the “51st vote” swinging the Senate majority to the party that would not vote to restore the rights of Roe nationwide.
Alsobrooks told the Associated Press “there will never be a vote as to whether or not we should codify Roe in federal law if the Republicans are in the majority… they have made it clear, they’ve essentially declared war on reproductive freedoms, and we know that that vote would never happen.”
Missouri
Amendment 3: Enshrine reproductive freedom rights, including “prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions” into the state constitution through an amendment. Previously threatened with removal from the November ballot, the Supreme Court of Missouri “reversed a lower court ruling against the measure.”
Incumbent Sen. Josh Hawley, who is running for re-election this year, lied about Amendment 3 while also attacking essential health care for transgender people that’s supported by every major medical association.
“Hawley’s fear mongering on trans health care for youth referenced practices that are already largely restricted in Missouri,” St. Louis Public Radio reported. “In 2023, the state passed a sweeping ban on gender-affirming care for minors.”
Supporters of Amendment 3, including the ACLU and Hawley’s Senate race opponent, Lucas Kunce, called Hawley’s remarks false, outlandish, and an attempt to distract voters, KSMU reports.
Hawley’s LGBTQ record is documented on the GLAAD Accountability Project. Hawley is among five senators who voted to object to the Electoral College counts showing Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, casting their votes hours after the deadly insurrection at the United States Capitol. Hawley went on to co-sponsor a bill targeting transgender students. The five senators voting to protect Trump’s lie, then targeting transgender youth, are Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
Montana
CI-128: Amend the state constitution to enshrine reproductive rights, “including the right to abortion,” and to “travel for medical services” without government interference “up until the point of fetal viability.”
Montana’s race for U.S. Senate is among those that will determine whether the Senate remains in the control of the pro-equality majority.
In a September 30 debate, incumbent Sen. Jon Tester supported the ballot measure and a person’s fundamental right to make private health care decisions: “I believe women should be able to make their own health care decisions. That’s the bottom line. It shouldn’t be the federal government. It shouldn’t be a bureaucrat. It shouldn’t be a judge,” Tester said. Tester also supports federal legislation to protect abortion access before fetal viability — generally considered to be around 24 weeks, according to Montana Public Radio.
U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy is anti-abortion and calls Tester’s stance extreme. Sheehy has said “I am proudly pro-life.”
Nevada
Question 6: The Right to Abortion Initiative. A “yes” vote supports providing for a state constitutional right to an abortion.
“Abortions in Nevada are currently legal up to 24 weeks after the start of pregnancy and after 24 weeks if a physician believes the pregnant person’s life or health is at risk,” the Nevada Current reports
“Those protections were put in place via a citizen-driven referendum passed by voters in 1990 and would require a direct vote of the people to change. Question 6 would establish abortion as a fundamental right in the state constitution, which also requires a vote of the people to amend.”
“This doubles down on the protections on statute,” Lindsey Harmon, president of Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom told the Current. “It makes it twice as hard to repeal or amend the referendum.”
Incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen is running for her second term in the Senate and supports Question 6. Her opponent, retired Army Capt. Sam Brown has said he is “pro-life,” that he’s “not for changing existing law,” and in 2022 told the Reno Gazette-Journal that he will “continue to protect life by voting against any federal funding of abortion and by voting to confirm justices who protect life.”
GLAAD has documented the LGBTQ records of Rosen and Brown, here.
The Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade revealed that marriage equality under Obergefell v. Hodges is far from safe. And while the Respect for Marriage Act would protect same-sex marriages that have already taken place legally, it does not “prevent states from refusing to license the unions.” In order to enshrine these rights, the following states have proposed legislation that would protect marriage equality:
California
Proposition 3: Repeal the now infamous Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative defining “marriage as a union between one man and one woman.” A “yes” vote would establish as fundamental the right to marry. Prop 8 was overturned in the U.S. Supreme Court case Hollingsworth v. Perry, in 2013.
Vice President and former California Attorney General Kamala Harris officiates the wedding ceremony (2013) for the lead plaintiffs in a case that led to the overturning of the state’s same-sex marriage ban. (Credit: MSNBC)
Colorado
Amendment J: Remove the ban on same-sex marriage in the Colorado Constitution. Currently, the state constitution still defines marriage as “only a union of one man and one woman,” wording that was nullified with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell decision. Justice Clarence Thomas has called on Obergefell to be “reconsidered” in his concurrence overthrowing Roe.
“Marriage has been many things throughout history, but for queer people, it’s always been about more than just a legal union—it’s been a defiant act of love and resistance.” said Jax Gonzalez, political director at One Colorado, the state’s leading LGBTQ advocacy organization.
“The Obergefell decision was a monumental step forward, but with the fall of Roe, we know we can’t rely on Supreme Court precedent to protect the freedom to marry. Removing the ban on same-sex marriage from the Colorado Constitution isn’t just about love or legal protection—it’s about affirming that our love, our dignity, and our equality are not up for debate. We owe it to the generations who fought before us, and to the future we’re building, to ensure these rights are secure.”
Of particular note: One Colorado reported that no-anti transgender initiatives made it to the November ballot. This comes after an anti-LGBTQ political action committee announced in August that they failed to collect enough signatures to advance anti-transgender legislation onto the 2024 ballot.
According to a report by The Williams Institute, more than 210,000 transgender adults could “face barriers to voting this fall” because their forms of identification don’t match their gender. State agencies in Missouri and Texas have removed protocols for trans people to correct their birth certificates. Ballot measures this year are targeting ways candidates appear on the ballot and can campaign.
Among the higher profile state ballot initiatives is Ohio’s Issue 1, which aims to fix the current manipulation of maps designed to favor one party over another (gerrymandering).
Ohio Issue 1: Establish a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission composed of five each of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Currently, the redistricting commission is comprised of politicians. Issue 1 would mandate politicians be excluded, along with lobbyists and political consultants.
Equality Ohio explained the measure to its followers on TikTok and Instagram: “Gerrymandering leads to extreme legislation—it hurts LGBTQ+ Ohioans, period.”https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAZJKfVyS03/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fglaad.org&rp=%2Fvoting-for-equality-lgbtq-related-proposals-on-the-ballot-this-year%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A336%2C%22ls%22%3A193%2C%22le%22%3A193%7D
Gerrymandered maps have helped create an extremist supermajority in the Ohio state legislature that last year passed a combination bill banning medically necessary health care for transgender youth and banning trans youth from school sports. Ohio has successfully worked around the gerrymandered supermajority with ballot measures, including two measures that helped codify the right to reproductive health care last year.
In August 2023, Ohio voters passed a ballot measure that protected a majority vote for ballot measures, then in November 2023, voters passed an amendment to add abortion rights to the state constitution, with robust voter turnout for an off-year election. Extremist lawmakers opposed both measures.
Signal Cleveland spelled out the stakes of Issue 1: “Under the current maps, Republicans hold about 66% of Ohio’s congressional and state legislative seats – giving them a veto-proof majority in the General Assembly – although their share of the vote is closer to 56%.”
If Ohio voters pass Issue 1, the state would join Michigan and Wisconsin, which have successfully broken down partisan gerrymandering, ensuring accurate representation in the state’s voting districts.
Additional states with measures about voting procedures and methods include:
Arizona
Proposition 133: Update the state constitution to “require partisan primary elections for partisan offices,” thus preventing all candidates from running in the same primary. Under the proposed amendment, political parties would nominate their own candidates to open positions, as has already been the practice.
Proposition 134: Establish within the state constitution an amendment requiring citizens pursuing a ballot measure to gather a percentage of signatures from every legislative district; 10% for statutory amendments and 15% for statewide initiatives.
Proposition 137: Replace term limits for state Supreme Court justices and superior court judges with “terms of good behavior.” If passed, this proposal would strip voters of the right to decidewhether or not to retain state Supreme Court justices. “Any justices on the November ballot would also automatically stay in office if the measure passes, even if voters choose to reject them.”
Proposition 140: Create open primary elections, requiring “all candidates for a specific office,” regardless of political affiliation, to “run against each other in a single primary election.” Lawmakers would then have the option to establish “a top-two general election featuring the top primary candidates,” or a ranked-choice voting system in the general elections “featuring the top primary candidates.”
Colorado
Proposition 131 (Initiative 310): Eliminate partisan primaries and place all qualified candidates“on the same primary ballot.” The four candidates with the top number of votes would move on to the November general election, which would ask voters to rank them based on their “order of preference.”
Florida
Amendment 1: Require school board candidates to list their party affiliation on the ballot, starting with the November 2026 general election.
Amendment 7: Amend the state constitution to limit voting to U.S. citizens who are 18 years of age or older. In addition, the proposal would “prohibit the ranking of candidates by limiting voters to a single vote per candidate or issue,” and advance one winner from the primary elections to the general election.
Montana
CI-126 and CI-127: CI-126 would create ranked-choice primaries for candidates running for “governor, lieutenant governor, state executives, state legislators, and congressional offices.” Following the election, the top-four candidates would advance to the general election, “regardless of party.” Meanwhile, CI-127 would require candidates for the following offices to win a majority of the vote, rather than a plurality, in order to secure the election: “governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state legislature, and congressional offices.”
Wisconsin
Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment: Amends the state constitution to stipulate “that only U.S. citizens who are 18 years old or older can vote in federal, state, local, or school elections.” Current language states “every” U.S. citizen can vote, but the proposal would change this to “only.” If passed, the measure would capitalize on fear mongering about noncitizen voting, “but noncitizens cannot legally use their IDs or licenses to register and vote.”
To learn more about statewide initiatives that will appear on your ballot, we recommend familiarizing yourself with them through nonpartisan sites like Ballotpedia (also linked from the title of each ballot proposal).
