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Though we’re not even halfway through 2023, already 57 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been passed in the U.S. so far this year. They range from bills banninggender-affirming healthcarefor minors to bills giving businesses the right to turn people away because of theirsexual orientationorgender identity.
We’ve collected and explained them all here, from the bills passed in Arkansas to the new legislation in Wyoming.
Arkansas
On March 14, Arkansas passed Senate Bill 294 into law. This bill focuses on education, prohibiting teachers below the fifth grade from teaching subjects around sexual orientation and gender identity.
Two days later, on March 16, Arkansas passed Senate Bill 199 into law. The bill gives people who received gender-affirming care as minors, including hormones andpuberty blockers, the chance to sue their physician for 15 years. This legislation might make it more difficult fortransgenderminors to find gender-affirming care, as healthcare professionals might be reluctant to offer it.
Anjali Ferguson, PhD, a culturally-responsive clinical psychologistThese policies impact access to life-saving care that transcends all facets of someone’s life from education, to healthcare, and ability to raise children/families. Many of these suggested policies undermine LGBTQ+ existence and promote environments that are inherently unsafe.
Anjali Ferguson, PhD, a culturally-responsive clinical psychologist
These policies impact access to life-saving care that transcends all facets of someone’s life from education, to healthcare, and ability to raise children/families. Many of these suggested policies undermine LGBTQ+ existence and promote environments that are inherently unsafe.
On March 21, Arkansas enacted House Bill 1156. This bill concerns school bathroom use, affecting multiple-occupancy bathrooms, locker rooms, and students’ rooms on overnight trips, restricting students to the bathrooms matching the gender they were assigned at birth. However, it also requires schools to provide “reasonable accommodation” for students unwilling to use a bathroom corresponding to the gender they were assigned at birth, like a single-occupancy gender-neutral bathroom.
Arkansas passed Senate Bill 125 into law on April 11. The bill means that colleges cannot mandate the use of specific words or language, includingpronouns.
The same day, the state signed Senate Bill 270 into law. Sometimes referred to as the “bathroom bill,” the legislation prohibits transgender people from using the public bathroom corresponding to their gender identity in some cases. It makes it a crime for a man or transgender woman to enter a public bathroom if they know a female child is present, and vice-versa. Included in the bill are public restrooms, locker rooms, and shower rooms.
The following day, Arkansas passed House Bill 1615 into law. The bill allows taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies to reject prospective parents – including based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Florida
Senate Bill 254 criminalizes doctors for providing gender-affirming care to minors and puts parents who support gender-affirming care for their transgender child at a disadvantage in child custody disputes when a couple is going through a divorce.
House Bill 1521 requires people to use the bathrooms consistent with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Florida Set to Pass “Don’t Say Gay” Bill—What It Means and Why It’s Problematic
Georgia
On March 23, Georgia passed Senate Bill 140 into law. The bill prohibits gender-affirming medical care for minors in the state.
Idaho
Idaho signed Senate Bill 1100 into law on March 23. The bill requires schools to keep separate bathrooms and changing areas based on biological sex, meaning that transgender students would not be able to use the bathroom corresponding to their gender identity.
On March 27, Idaho signed Senate Bill 1016 into law. The bill makes public works contractors exempt from requirements to provide access to non-gendered bathroom and locker room facilities, meaning that people will need to use the facilities corresponding to their sex as assigned at birth.
On April 4, Idaho signed House Bill 71 into law. The legislation prohibits gender-affirming medical care for minors, and makes it a felony for parents or healthcare professionals to provide it.
Indiana
Indiana signed Senate Bill 480 into law on April 5. The bill prohibits providing gender-affirming care to minors.
On April 20, Indiana passed House Bill 1569 into law. This bill requires that the Department of Corrections denies necessary medical care to incarcerated transgender people.
Iowa
On March 22, Iowa signed Senate File 482 into law. This bill prohibits transgender students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.
The same day, the state also passed Senate File 538 into law. This bill bans age-appropriate, medically necessary gender-affirming healthcare for minors in Iowa.
Kansas
Kansas passed House Bill 2238 into law on April 5, with the governor’s veto being overridden. The bill requires that femalestudent athletic teamsacross schools and colleges only include those assigned female at birth.
On April 27, the state passed Senate Bill 180 into law, with the Senate and House overriding the governor’s veto. The bill bans anybody from identifying as any gender other than the one they were assigned at birth.
Kentucky
On March 24, Kentucky signed Senate Bill 145 into law. The bill requires sports teams in schools to allow students to play only on teams that correspond to their sex assigned at birth.
The state then passed Senate Bill 150 into law on March 29, with the governor’s veto overridden. The bill prohibits gender-affirming medical care for minors, requires school students to use the bathroom corresponding to their sex as assigned at birth, and means that school staff members would not have to use a student’s requested pronouns.
Mississippi
Mississippi signed House Bill 1125 into law on February 28. The bill bans gender-affirming care and surgery for minors in the state.
On March 27, Mississippi passed House Bill 1733. This bill gives businesses the opportunity to deduct the cost of equipment in the year it’s put into service.
Montana
On April 28, Montana passed Senate Bill 99 into law. The bill prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender minors, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries.
On May 3, the state passed House Bill 303 into law. The act permits healthcare providers to withhold their services based on their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. As a result, they could refuse to treat or help LGBTQIA+ patients.
North Dakota
Then, on April 10, the state also signed House Bill 1139 into law. The bill defines sex as “the biological state of being female or male, based on the individual’s nonambiguous sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous hormone profiles at birth” for the purposes of birth certificates.
The following day, April 11, North Dakota signed House Bill 1249 into law. The bill bans school students, down to kindergarten level, from playing sports as per their gender identity.
The same day, the state passed House Bill 1489 into law. It’s similar to HB 1249, but prohibits college students from playing sports as per their gender identity.
On April 19, North Dakota passed House Bill 1254 into law. The bill prohibits healthcare professionals from providing gender-affirming care to minors.
Amy Mezulis, PhD, co-founder and chief clinical officer, JoonExtensive research shows that gender-affirming care – which includes everything from psychoeducation, social, and family support to gender-affirming medical intervention – meaningfully improves mental health.
Amy Mezulis, PhD, co-founder and chief clinical officer, Joon
Extensive research shows that gender-affirming care – which includes everything from psychoeducation, social, and family support to gender-affirming medical intervention – meaningfully improves mental health.
On April 25, the state signed House Bill 1473 into law. This bill prohibits transgender people from using bathrooms and shower rooms corresponding to their gender identity in correctional facilities, youth correctional facilities, prisons, and university dormitories.
The same day, North Dakota signed House Bill 1205 into law. This bill prohibits public libraries fromholding bookswith explicit sexual material – for example, images portraying masturbation or sex.
North Dakota signed House Bill 1522 into law on 8 May. This bill prohibits school students from using the bathroom consistent with their gender identity and means that schools cannot require that students’ chosen pronouns are respected.
The same day, the state signed House Bill 1297 into law. It prevents transgender people from being able to change the gender marker on their birth certificate. Also, on the same day, House Bill 1474 was passed. It dictates that people should be identified as the gender they were assigned at birth when the state collects data, regardless of their gender identity.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma signed Senate Bill 613 into law on May 1. The bill prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state.
The following day, the state passed Senate Bill 404. The bill gives religious organizations better access to support from the state, including those which may discriminate against LGBTQIA+ people.
South Dakota
On February 13, South Dakota signed House Bill 1080 into law. The bill prevents healthcare professionals from prescribing puberty blockers and performing gender-affirming surgery on minors.
Tennessee
Tennessee signed Senate Bills 1 and 3 into law on February 28. SB 1 prohibits gender-affirming care and surgery for minors in the state.
Tennessee passed Senate Bill 1237 into law on April 28. The companion bill to House Bill 306, introduced in January 2023, SB 1237 allows private schools to ban transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity.
Utah
Utah passed Senate Bill 16 into law on January 28. The law effectively bans gender-affirming surgery andhormone therapyfor minors.
Almost a month later, on March 14, Utah signed Senate Bill 97 into law. Sometimes referred to as an “anti-boycott bill,” this bill will end government contracts with companies that boycott a range of industries and business policies – companies that support pro-LGBTQIA+ policies could be affected.
The following day, on March 15, Utah passed Senate Bill 39 into law. The bill recodifies parts of the Utah Health Code and the Utah Human Services Code.
Then, on March 17, Utah passed House Bill 209 into law. This bill requires students to present a birth certificate or another state-issued or federally-recognized form of identification before they can participate in sports.
On March 23, Utah signed Senate Bill 93 into law. The bill prohibits name or gender changes on a minor’s birth certificate, so through both pieces of legislation combined, young transgender athletes will face additional obstacles when trying to compete.
West Virginia
West Virginia signed House Bill 2007 into law on 29 March. The bill limits gender-affirming healthcare for minors.
Wyoming
Wyoming passed Senate File 133 into law on March 17. The law prohibits transgender girls from competing on female sports teams in schools, past the seventh grade.
Growing Prevalence of Anti-Transgender Legislation Takes a Toll on Mental Health
How This Legislation Affects LGBTQIA+ People
“LGBTQ+ populations are some of our most vulnerable to marginalization and discrimination,” saysAnjali Ferguson, PhD, a culturally-responsive clinical psychologist. “These policies impact access to life-saving care that transcends all facets of someone’s life from education, to healthcare, and ability to raise children/families. Many of these suggested policies undermine LGBTQ+ existence and promote environments that are inherently unsafe.”
She continues: “Extensive researchshows that gender-affirming care—which includes everything from psychoeducation, social, and family support to gender-affirming medical intervention—meaningfully improves mental health. Gender-affirming care reduces depression, anxiety,gender dysphoria, and suicidality. It also promotes well-being and positive self-esteem, which in turn predict better social and academic/professional outcomes.”
It’s a difficult time to be LGBTQIA+ in the US, particularly for those living in the above states. Indeed, research published this year shows the effects of this legislation on young people.If you’re struggling with feelings of anger, anxiety, depression, and loneliness, however, you’re not alone. Speak to a trusted loved one or reach out to a healthcare professional.
If you are seeking support for issues with coming out, relationships, bullying, self-harm, and more, contact theLGBT National Hotlineat1-888-843-4564for one-to-one peer support.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
If you are seeking support for issues with coming out, relationships, bullying, self-harm, and more, contact theLGBT National Hotlineat1-888-843-4564for one-to-one peer support.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
When Your Child Comes Out As LGBTQIA+: Understanding, Supporting, Affirming
2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Noh M.Addressing LGBTQ+ youth health in Florida: Considerations from other states.Health Affairs Forefront. 2023. doi:10.1377/forefront.20230518.251134Canady V.Mounting anti‐LGBTQ+ bills impact mental health of youths.Mental Health Weekly. 2023;33(15):1-6. doi:10.1002/mhw.33603
2 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Noh M.Addressing LGBTQ+ youth health in Florida: Considerations from other states.Health Affairs Forefront. 2023. doi:10.1377/forefront.20230518.251134Canady V.Mounting anti‐LGBTQ+ bills impact mental health of youths.Mental Health Weekly. 2023;33(15):1-6. doi:10.1002/mhw.33603
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Noh M.Addressing LGBTQ+ youth health in Florida: Considerations from other states.Health Affairs Forefront. 2023. doi:10.1377/forefront.20230518.251134Canady V.Mounting anti‐LGBTQ+ bills impact mental health of youths.Mental Health Weekly. 2023;33(15):1-6. doi:10.1002/mhw.33603
Noh M.Addressing LGBTQ+ youth health in Florida: Considerations from other states.Health Affairs Forefront. 2023. doi:10.1377/forefront.20230518.251134
Canady V.Mounting anti‐LGBTQ+ bills impact mental health of youths.Mental Health Weekly. 2023;33(15):1-6. doi:10.1002/mhw.33603
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