Self-care note: While some of the following stories celebrate and affirm LGBTQ+ people, many cover legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans and nonbinary youth. Please be kind to yourself and use your discretion while reading this section. Advisory: State news is representative but not exhaustive due to space constraints; feel free to forward news about your state to [email protected] to consider for inclusion. Alabama - New “Don’t say gay/trans” bill introduced in State House. Rep. Mack Butler filed a bill to extend the current prohibition on classroom discussion or instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity all the way through 12th grade. State Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are children. On February 16th, the Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are legal children, allowing patients of fertility clinics to sue those clinics for wrongful death if embryos are destroyed. While the ruling does not ban in-vitro fertilization (IVF), the defendants in the case, including a fertility clinic, argued that creating wrongful death liability for frozen embryos would substantially increase the cost of IVF treatment and make preserving embryos “onerous.” Arizona - Effort to put anti-trans school policies on the ballot fails. Senate Concurrent Resolution 1013 would have put to voters whether schools should ban trans students from using bathrooms matching their gender identity and forcibly out students to their parents. Had the bill passed through the legislature, it would not have needed Gov. Katie Hobbs’ approval before being placed on the November ballot, however, the bill failed on the Senate floor on February 26th. Colorado - State House advances two transgender rights bills. One of the measures advanced in an initial vote on February 23rd would make it easier for transgender people with felony records to legally change their names to conform with their gender. The other would require K-12 schools to have written policies for using a student’s chosen name and pronouns. Florida - Hundreds activists march through state capital to protest anti-LGBTQ+ bills. The “Let Us Live March” took place on February 28th as lawmakers in the Florida House considered HB 1639, which would require transgender people to have their sex assigned at birth listed on their driver’s licenses and ID cards, as well as requiring health insurance plans to cover conversion therapy and detransition procedures. Georgia - Legislators consider school bathroom ban bill. Rep. Josh Bonner’s bill, HB936, is being considered by the House Education Policy Subcommittee. Should it become law, schools in the state would have to adopt policies designating bathrooms and other sex-segregated spaces by sex assigned at birth. Kentucky - State House advances broad religious freedom bill. HB47 advanced out of committee on February 21st, despite warnings from LGBTQ+ rights groups that the bill would undermine local-level anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people. Maryland - Bill introduced to protect medically necessary care for trans and non-binary youth. SB119 would shield health care providers in Maryland from liability if they help out-of-state trans and non-binary patients receive healthcare. New York - Nassau County announces trans athlete ban. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced an executive order on February 22nd which bans trans athletes from competing on teams aligning with their gender identity in county-run facilities. This runs counter to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association's policies, which give student athletes "the opportunity to participate ... in a manner consistent with their gender identity and the New York State Commissioner of Education's Regulations." Ohio - Local activists, including PFLAG chapters, offer support following passage of anti-trans healthcare ban. Groups including PFLAG Dayton and the Greater Dayton LGBTQ Center have been providing support and information to families with transgender kids about what to do next, following passage of HB68. Oklahoma - Students stage walkout to protest bullying and death of Nex Benedict. At least 40 Owasso High School students walked out on February 26th to protest anti-LGBTQ+ bullying at the school, which allegedly led to Nex Benedict’s death on February 8th. Texas - Keller high school cancels production of “The Laramie Project.” Timber Creek High School in Keller announced the play’s cancellation on February 23rd without stating a reason for the cancellation. Community members launched a petition to reinstate the production, collecting at least 1,300 signatures. The play revolves around the murder of Matthew Shepard and the community’s reaction to the crime. Virginia - Lieutenant Governor Sears apologizes after misgendering State Senator Roem. Senator Roem, who is an openly trans woman, asked the Lieutenant Governor a question about an upcoming vote. In her response, Lieutenant Governor Sears addressed Roem as “sir.” Sears later apologized to the chamber for the incident. ACLU sues state Department of Education over anti-trans policies. Model policies for Virginia school districts crafted by Governor Glenn Youngkin include forcibly outing trans students to their parents and ban trans students from sports teams and school facilities that align with their gender identity. West Virginia - House of Delegates passes ban on medically necessary care for trans and non-binary youth. Last year, the legislature passed a healthcare ban that allowed youth to continue care with parental consent and a diagnosis of “severe gender dysphoria” from two medical professionals. The new proposal would ban prescribing hormones to trans and non-binary youth at levels that would aid in their medical transition. | 
