Take Action

Alabamians:

Alabama lawmakers are debating two discriminatory bills this week – and we need you to tell your representatives to vote NO now! The State Senate is considering HB130, a “Don’t Say Gay/Trans” bill to remove inclusive education from our schools, and HB111, a bill to redefine sex in order to erase transgender people from public spaces. LGBTQ+ Alabamians, like all Alabamians, deserve the freedom to be themselves, yet these bills would put  trans Alabamians in particular in harm's way. Contact your Senators TODAY and tell them to vote NO on HB111 and HB130!

Louisianans:

Call your representatives and tell them to vote NO on the bathroom ban! HB608 passed the House this week. We need to make sure this harmful bill goes no further. Call your Senator TODAY and tell them to vote NO on HB608!

Ohioans:

Call your senators and tell them to vote NO on the "Don't say gay/trans" bill! HB8 was amended in committee this week to be even worse. Call your Senator TODAY and tell them to vote NO!

Call your representatives and tell them to vote NO on the bathroom ban! HB183 passed out of committee this week. We need to make sure this harmful bill goes no further. Tell your representative TODAY to vote NO on HB183!

South Carolinians:

H 4624 passed the Senate -- but the fight isn't over yet! This bill would ban medical care for trans youth under 18, block Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for ALL South Carolinians, and force teachers to out their trans students. While the bill passed the Senate, there is still a chance to kill this bill in the House once and for all. Contact your representative TODAY and tell them to VOTE NO on this harmful bill!

Virginians:

Please join Equality Virginia, GLSEN, and The Trevor Project in urging Governor Youngkin to sign HB 536 and HB 224, essential pieces of legislation aimed at safeguarding the well-being of students across Virginia.

State Matters

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 - Senate Committee approves bill expanding “Don’t Say Gay/Trans” law. The Senate Education Policy Committee voted to advance HB130, which would expand the current ban on “instruction and discussion” about sexual orientation and gender identity from K-5 to K-8. The bill also bans public K-12 employees from displaying pride flags.

Arizona - Gov. Katie Hobbs signs repeal of abortion ban into law. Governor Hobbs signed a bill repealing the state’s near-total abortion ban, which dated back to 1864, almost 50 years before Arizona became a state. 

Colorado - Legislature considers putting constitutional amendment removing voided ban on same-sex marriages on the ballot. The Colorado legislature legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, however the Colorado constitution still contains language restricting marriage to one man and one woman. The proposed ballot question needs supermajority support in the legislature to be put on the ballot.

Iowa - Legislature adjourns without approving anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Over 30 bills targeting LGBTQ+ Iowans were introduced this session, including some the governor prioritized. Despite this, none of these bills, including a bathroom ban bill and an “erasure” bill, made it to the governor’s desk.

Kansas - Legislature sustains Gov. Kelly’s veto of gender-affirming care ban. The House voted 82-43 to override the veto, two votes short of the necessary supermajority threshold. Access to medically necessary care for trans and non-binary youth will remain legal in the state.

Maryland - Gov. Moore signs “Freedom to Read Act” into law. HB785 combats efforts to ban books in public libraries and protects librarians from retaliation for keeping books on library shelves.

Mississippi - Legislature fails to advance anti-trans “erasure” bills. The bills would have banned trans people from accessing public spaces like bathrooms according to their gender identity and would have defined sex very narrowly in the state code. The proposals died when House and Senate leaders failed to agree on a single compromise version of the proposed bills.

Ohio -Judge extends temporary block against gender-affirming care ban. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Michael Holbrook extended the temporary restraining order blocking House Bill 68 through May 20. The legislation would prohibit medically necessary care for trans and non-binary youth, as well as banning trans athletes from competing in school sports, and was originally set to take effect on April 24.

Senate amends “parents rights” bill. HB8 includes a forced outing provision and was amended to ban “sexuality content” in K-3 education too. Call your Senator TODAY and tell them to vote NO!

Pennsylvania - State boards effectively ban so-called “conversion therapy.” The state board of Nursing joined the Medicine, Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors, Psychology and Osteopathic Medicine all voted to adopt new Statements of Policy (SOP) that oppose the use of conversion therapy on minors in Pennsylvania. In a statement, the Trevor Project thanked PFLAG National, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, and many others “for their work over the last several years to protect the mental health and well-being of young people across the commonwealth.”

South Carolina - State Senate passes medically necessary care ban. H4624 passed with a 27-8 vote. The bill bars health professionals from performing medically necessary care for trans and non-binary youth and also bars Medicaid from covering such care for trans and non-binary South Carolinians of all ages. Since the bill was amended in the Senate, it now moves back to the House. Tell your Representatives to vote NO on H4624!

Texas - Austin City Council approves resolution protecting to local trans and non-binary people seeking gender-affirming care. The measure directs Austin police to make enforcement of Senate Bill 14, which bans medically necessary care for trans and non-binary minors in the state, as their lowest priority. The proposal also bans any city fund from being used to investigate or prosecute anyone for accessing or providing medically necessary care for trans and non-binary people. PFLAG Austin worked with the City Council to draft and advance this resolution.

Court Matters

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rules in favor of gender-affirming care. The Court ruled 8-6 that West Virginia’s and North Carolina’s policy excluding coverage for medically necessary care for trans and nonbinary people on government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory. Judge Roger Gregory’s opinion stated, “The coverage exclusions facially discriminate on the basis of sex and gender identity, and are not substantially related to an important government interest.”

Sixteen states sue Biden administration over new Title IX rule. Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Texas all sued the Administration, arguing the new Title IX rules, which protect trans students from sex-based discrimination, exceed the Education Department’s authority. Read PFLAG National’s statement released in coalition with the National Women’s Law Center, Know Your IX, GLSEN, and others responding to the rule.

Federal Matters

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issues final Section 1557 rule advancing anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people in healthcare. The rule reverses the previous administration’s interpretation of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); the Biden Administration will enforce nondiscrimination protections in healthcare settings so that providers cannot discriminate against LGBTQ+ patients. 

A new rule related to the ACA will allow DACA recipients to sign up for healthcare coverage through the ACA’s marketplace, meaning they can also receive subsidies to help offset their insurance premiums. 

HHS finalizes rule to protect LGBTQ+ children in foster care. The final rule states that all children in the child welfare system, including LGBTQ+ children, are entitled to protections against harassment, abuse, and mistreatment. Additionally, the rule specifies that state child welfare agencies must ensure that LGBTQ+ children have access to supportive home environments.

Judy Shepard to receive The Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 3rd . Judy is a PFLAG mom who, along with her husband Dennis, led a movement of compassion following the murder of their son that resulted in the passage of the Matthew Shepard, James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009, the first of any federal protection for LGBTQ+ people. She is also the co-founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which raises awareness about anti-LGBTQ+ violence. PFLAG National CEO Brian K. Bond will be in attendance at the ceremony.

Nonprofits no longer eligible for some Congressional earmarks under new House rules. Nonprofits will no longer be eligible for funding from the Economic Development Initiative account. The change follows three LGBTQ+ nonprofits having their earmarked funding stripped from last year’s funding bills. Nonprofits will still be eligible for earmarked funding from other accounts, and the change in House rules does not affect the Senate earmark process, meaning that other avenues for nonprofit earmarked funds still exist. 

Smithsonian staffers express concerns about future LGBTQ+ programming. Several Smithsonian events featuring a drag performer were canceled or postponed over the last several months following a House Committee hearing in December.

Global Matters

Iraq - Parliament passes a law criminalizing same-sex sexual relationsThe bans same-sex relations with at least 10 years and a maximum of 15 years in prison, and mandates at least seven years in prison for anybody who “promotes homosexuality or prostitution.” The State Department criticized the law, saying that it was threat to human rights and freedoms and would weaken Iraq’s ability to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment.

Media Matters

 

United Methodist Church overturns ban on gay clergy. In 1984, the church banned “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from becoming members of the clergy, and later added performing or celebrating same-sex unions to “a list of chargeable offenses that could result in a church trial.” In a 692-51 vote, church leaders passed several rules without debate, including overturning both its ban on gay clergy and the penalties for holding same-sex marriages.

PFLAG National Partners with Gender Spectrum. Beginning May 20, parents and caregivers of transgender and gender-diverse children who previously found support through the nonprofit Gender Spectrum can once again connect in community through PFLAG National. This new partnership comes on the heels of Gender Spectrum’s announcement in Sept. 2023 of its imminent closure. Register here for the May 20th virtual meeting of the PFLAG Connects: Gender Spectrum Parent Community.

 

PFLAG National
(202) 467-8180 | [email protected]

Follow Us

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser

Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences