Five blatantly anti-LGBTQ laws in the land of the free

Love knows no gender? “Yes,” would be the answer of many arch-conservative, religious, and sometimes right-wing American Republicans. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is leading the way. With his famous “Don’t Say Gay” law, he substantiates his self-declared war against the “awake” world. But not only Florida seems to be becoming hell for people who want to love and live freely.

Anti-LGBTQ laws are emerging in many other US states. Trans* people in particular have become the ultimate enemy of right-wing Christians in the US. In an earlier Watson post, German journalist Annika Brockschmidt highlighted how quickly right-wing Christians have moved from an anti-LGBT discourse to an anti-trans discourse.

In doing so, they target a smaller, more vulnerable minority and profile themselves as “strong protectors of children and the patriarchal nuclear family”. They demonize and attack a “group” and put themselves in a good light, according to the motto “We just want to protect the kids.” This is a typical right-wing tactic, Brockschmidt said.

Human rights activists are sounding the alarm: Rising hostility towards LGBTQ people is extinguishing the light of freedom in the US. Land of the free – but not for everyone. This is evident from these five blatantly anti-LGBTQ laws in the US, which Watson has summarized for you.

West Virginia’s fight against trans youth

In the US state of West Virginia, sex reassignment treatments for minors are illegal. According to media reports, the law prohibits doctors from offering sex reassignment hormone treatments and reversible puberty blockers to people under the age of 18. Minors are also not allowed to undergo sex reassignment surgery.

Similar laws already apply in the conservatively governed US states of Iowa, Georgia, Mississippi, Utah and South Dakota. In West Virginia, however, the law contains one exception: It allows doctors to prescribe therapy for a teen if they are at risk of harming themselves or committing suicide. In this case, the person can receive puberty inhibitors and hormone therapy, but will need parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria.

Tennessee bans drag shows for children

Tennessee is at odds with drag queens. In the US state, they are no longer allowed to appear in public or in front of children and young people. So drag shows are only allowed in places clearly marked as adult entertainment. Violations are punishable by up to one year in prison and fines of up to $2,500.

Critics fear police could use the law as an excuse to harass queer people on the streets. When necessary, Pride demonstrations with reference to the law are also at stake. Explosive: The governor of the US state of Tennessee, Bill Lee, was spotted in women’s clothing.

Republican Lee has to answer for a 1977 school photo in which he appears to be in a dress. The photo caused a stir on social media. At a press conference, Lee said the allegations were “ridiculous”. And: “Associating something like that with sexual entertainment in front of children is a very serious problem.” Because for him, the law is first and foremost about protecting children.

Tennessee is not an isolated case. According to online magazine Vice, there are 36 draft laws in at least 14 other states that focus on drag.

Texas Punishes Treatment of Trans* Youth as “Child Abuse”

In Texas, youth sex reassignment measures are classified as “child abuse” and legal action is taken against those involved. “I’m just waiting for someone to knock on the door” say the parents of a trans* child in Texas in an interview with the American magazine “Time”. They fear the “family and protection services” that target parents of trans* youth.

According to the report, Texas is investigating parents who may be providing gender-affirming care to their children. Some families have since left the state, according to the Texas news service KERA News. Those who continue to struggle with constant anxiety.

A concerned father tells KERA News that Republicans in Texas have made anti-LGBTQ politics a dominant part of their agenda. The debate becomes emotional and scientific facts are suppressed. “And for me it becomes dangerous when a government starts putting feelings before facts and science,” he says.

Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Law in Schools

Dark clouds are gathering in the Sunshine State. LGBTQ organizations are alarmed and some have issued travel warnings for minorities to Florida. Because “there’s a new sheriff in town,” to use the words of Ron DeSantis. Florida’s arch-conservative governor is no joke when it comes to LGBTQ rights.

In 2022, DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education Act into law. It became known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law because it prohibits teachers in kindergarten and the first two grades of primary school from discussing sexual orientation and gender identities. If teachers break the law, parents can sue the school. DeSantis now wants to tighten the law.

In the future, the exchange of sexual orientation in the classroom should be completely banned. In other words, the directive should apply to all age groups. There’s one exception, though: Such classes are allowed only if they’re “expressly required” by state education regulations — or are part of an optional sex education or other health class, according to a document released by authorities.

A major opponent of the law is World Disney theme park in Florida, which has been in a feud with DeSantis ever since.

Mississippi – stronghold of anti-LGBTQ bills

“I have never seen anything like it in my years of working in Mississippi,” Rob Hill, Mississippi State Director of the Human Rights Campaign, told Mississippi Today. Earlier this year, 31 bills were introduced targeting the rights of queer Mississippi residents to education and health care.

This means that by 2023, the state will have the highest number of anti-LGBTQ bills. According to queer.de, the southern state bans all “experimental” medical procedures on those under the age of 18. In other words, sex reassignment measures such as hormone administration, hormone blockers and sex reassignment surgery. Explosive: Those who carry it out should expect severe punishment.

According to the queer.de report, medical workers who perform such treatment could lose their license. So doctors who offer gender-affirming treatments can probably still be sued up to 30 years later.