May 10, 2023
By Camille Echols
Staff Writer
Since the beginning of 2023, 500 anti-transgender bills that primarily target gender-affirming healthcare for minors have been proposed in the United States, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker. Forty-three of these bills have been passed, 97 have failed and 360 are still active.
On March 2, Tennessee signed a law that would ban drag shows in public spaces or in front of minors, but it was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on March 31 due to its vagueness. Now, according to the media company Time, 14 states including Arizona, Kentucky and Oklahoma have followed Tennessee’s example and introduced bills of their own that would heavily restrict drag.
History teacher and Gay Straight Alliance advisor Mr. Spence said restrictions on drag shows are rooted in bias and bigotry.
“Drag is an art form. Nobody is banning concerts, nobody is banning movies. Drag is the same thing,” Spence said. “Ultimately, it is someone putting on a costume and behaving a certain way. That has been done throughout the history of the world for thousands of years.”
Spence said these laws are going to harm transgender people.
“These elected officials are acting on behalf of people who actually think that having laws that make it harder for people to express themselves is a good thing,” Spence said. “The job of the government should be to make sure all of their constituents are feeling safe and supported, even if some of their constituents disagree with the lifestyle of other constituents.”
Spence said anti-transgender laws increase suicide rates among transgender teens.
“I’ve spent days sobbing and worrying for my transgender friends in other states.”
“These laws are telling people that it is not okay for them to be their true self, and anyone who is told that is going to have suicidal ideations,” Spence said. “Depression, anxiety–it’s all linked together. They go hand in hand.”
According to the National Library of Medicine, 82% of transgender people have considered suicide, and around 40% have attempted it. Additionally, according to a study done by the JAMA Network, a monthly open-access medical journal published by the American Medical Association, transgender individuals who received gender-affirming healthcare are less likely to experience psychological distress and suicidal ideation and are less likely to consume harmful substances like tobacco or alcohol.
Junior Eliana Cardona said legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community is the result of bias rather than fact.
“Some think that transgender people and people who do drag don’t fit [their] God’s image, some think they’re inappropriate and some think that they’re too forced,” Cardona said.
According to a study done by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, transgender people are four times more likely to be victims of hate crimes than cisgender people.
“People should be able to express themselves in non-harmful ways freely, and pushing laws against human rights is not right,” Cardona said.
Senior Lux Brewster, who identifies as transmasculine, said they have to reconsider certain aspects of their plans for the future as a result of these laws.
“Seeing new information on anti-trans laws has emotionally harmed me in many ways. I’ve spent days sobbing and worrying for my transgender friends in other states,” Brewster said.
On March 2, Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee signed a law that would ban all gender-affirming care for people under 18, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. While most of these laws target transgender minors, there have also been some proposed that would restrict the rights of transgender adults, according to ABC News.
Brewster said limiting access to gender-affirming healthcare will have detrimental effects on the mental health of transgender people.
“Banning something many people utilize will not stop them from finding ways to get the resources they want or need,” Brewster said. “This is no different with gender-affirming care. The care wasn’t truly banned, only the safe methods were. It will certainly harm young trans people more than it will help them.”
According to the online health and well-being clinic GenderGP, a study confirms that 99.7% of transgender people who received gender-affirming healthcare were satisfied, with only 0.3% requesting to transition back. This study disproves the idea of transition regret being a common occurrence among transgender people.
Brewster said Republican lawmakers are targeting transgender people and drag shows because it appeals to bigoted Americans.
“Close-minded people want to uphold their views of this sort of thing being downright blasphemous when, in reality, a child seeing someone wearing a piece of fabric or a colorful wig isn’t going to magically make said child gay,” Brewster said. “Typically, a little kid doesn’t even see gender in the way a teen or adult would. They just see pretty colors.”
Brewster said transgender people need to stay strong in the face of laws aimed against their community.
“These politicians cannot kill us off. Transgender people have existed for centuries, and we will continue to survive. You are valid, you are seen and you are loved. You will make it through this and thrive like you are meant to,” said Brewster.
