The State of Pride (by the numbers)

This year’s Pride month has faced an increased number of controversies and backlash including boycotts of Target and Anheuser-Bush, protesting pride celebrations in public schools, and the controversy involving the Los Angeles Dodgers and the LGBTQ+ charity organization, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. There’s no doubt this year’s pride season has felt very different than past seasons. For the first time ever, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued a statement, “LGBTQ+ Americans under attack: A report and reflection on the 2023 State Legislative Session, and a supplemental report, National Guidebook for LGBTQ+ Travelers and Residents. The statement and report are designed to inform and educate LGBTQ+ individuals on the flood of anti-LGBTBQ+ bills that have been signed into law or have been introduced. This year alone, over 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 41 states with at least 220 of those bills targeting transgender youth [1]. Those high numbers are contributing to the “steady increase in anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in state legislatures over the last several years — from 115 bills introduced in 2015 to more than 500 in 2023” [2,3]. The HRC’s national guidebook includes a “Know the Laws” chart that lists the status of anti-LGBTQ+ laws on the books today. Some of the laws listed include:

Ban Conversion Therapy: State law forbids the practice of discredited, abusive so-called “conversion therapy” for youth. As of this writing, at least 29 states have no such ban [1].
Ban on gender-affirming healthcare: This state has a law that bans the provision of best practice, age-appropriate health care for transgender youth [1].
LGBTQ+ Erasure Law: Laws adopting a discriminatory definition of sex that, in reducing people to their reproductive abilities, eliminates a broad array of protections for LGBTQ+ people and women embedded throughout state law [1].
Forced Outing of Students Laws: Bills that would require school personnel – including teachers, coaches, school nurses, guidance counselors, and others – to “out” students to their parents, regardless of whether that would put a student at risk at home [1].

The chart and guide are meant to serve as informative resources to LGBTQ+ Americans looking to visit or move to other states, serving as a reminder that many Americans identifying as LGBTQ+ must pay attention to a state’s basic human rights laws before traveling or moving. The HRC’s guidebook also presents ideas and lists resources that LGBTQ+ individuals can use to identify friendly states, determine access to healthcare, and build a community [1]. The guide also offers many ways one can become an advocate in a state with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

On the state level, also for the first time ever, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a “State of Pride” report. The report details the advances the state of California has made towards the LGBTQ+ community, while also listing the rise in reported hate crime. The report says that between 2021 and 2022, reported hate crime against the LGBTQ+ community rose 29% over the previous period with 391 reported hate crime events [4]. Like the HRC’s national guidebook, California’s report also includes a “know your rights” section which cites relevant California state law regarding discrimination.

Why the uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ bills and hate crime? Weren’t we all getting along? It’s difficult to say why there’s so much backlash and pushback with the LGBTQ+ community. Some believe that the backlash is due to the focus on Gender and Queer Theory. If this year’s pride season has taught us anything it’s that while visibility is increasing, the repercussion of backlash is increasing too.

I’m so mad, what can I do? You can start by educating yourself. Did you know that many people don’t know the history behind pride? Ever heard of the Stonewall Riots? Luckily, RCLL is here to help you educate yourself. The LGBTQ+ Rights Database on HeinOnline is a perfect resource, to not only research Stonewall, but read about the history of LGBTQ+ rights. The database even includes a fun and interactive timeline to browse milestone events. You can also stand up and be an advocate. Advocacy can range from one-on-one conversations with family, friends, and colleagues, to meetings and/or contacting elected officials [1]. Pride started as an act of rebellion against discriminatory treatment and will most likely continue to be one in the future.

Please take some time to review and recommend the resources below to interested individuals.

Happy Pride🌈

References and Resources

[1] LGBTQ+ AMERICANS FIGHT BACK: A GUIDEBOOK FOR ACTION

[2] HRC: Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws? Know Before You Go

[3] LGBTQ+ AMERICANS UNDER ATTACK: A REPORT AND REFLECTION ON THE 2023 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

[4] State of Pride Report

[5] Same DNA but Born this Way: A Look Back at Transgender History

[6] The Controversy Surrounding Laws Affecting the Transgender Community

[7] National Center for Transgender Equality

[8] Lambda Legal Virtual Helpdesk (also includes info for national crisis hotlines)

[9] LGBTQI+ Resources at the Library of Congress