Thread by @StepUp4Trans

Twenty-nine states are currently considering anti-trans legislation in the United States. YOU can go to transformationsproject.org to learn more about bills in your state and contact your representatives to stop them and to #StepUpForTransKids.
Read on to learn more. 🧵

So we say anti-trans bills, but I want to discuss a bit what these bills actually entail, with maps to show exactly which states are considering which types of bills.

One of the largest classes of these bills is anti-trans sports bills. These bills try to mandate that participation in athletics be divided by "biological sex". Many of them specifically prohibit trans girls from playing on girls athletics teams.

These bills apply from elementary school all the way up through intercollegiate athletics in some cases. Even more concerningly, these bills vary greatly in how they say that "biological sex" is to be determined.

Some specify that genetic testing of chromosomes or doctor's examinations are required. This fundamentally would place a hidden cost barrier on participation in school athletics. Even worse, in many cases these stipulations are only applied to girls' and womens' teams.

Some of these laws specify that "biological sex" is to be determined based on genitalia, or don't specify how it is to be determined at all. This leaves enormous potential for sexual abuse and forced genital examinations by school professionals.

Another class of these hateful bills is those bills that, if passed, would ban all trans-affirming medical care for minors. Some of these bills define "minor" as those under 18, while some also specify that individuals must reach Tanner stage 5 development.

The most reputable research we have shows that early medical intervention for trans youth leads to markedly better outcomes, as well as increases in health and decreases in suicidality. The lives of trans children are at stake here.

The last major class of these bills are bathroom bills, bills that propose to criminalize any bathroom usage that does not correspond to "biological sex". These bills are increasingly popping up as mandates for schools and youth facilities.

These bills are incredibly dangerous and likely to increase harassment and abuse of not only trans youth, but gender non-conforming youth in general.

In 2016, a bathroom bill in North Carolina caused nationwide news and outrage. In 2022, six separate states are considering similar bills, but for youth, and these bills are going nearly unnoticed. Be part of the difference. Speak up and speak out.

It's not too late to stop these and other hateful bills from progressing into law. Please visit transformationsproject.org to learn about the situation in your state, contact your representatives, and #StepUpForTransKids!