Indiana introduces a new bill that will ban trans woman from competing in college sports, Texas hosted a summit to provide resources to queer people, and lawmakers in Ohio pass anti-LGBTQ bills.
New Bill Proposes Ban On Trans Women In College Sports
Indiana lawmakers introduced one of the first anti-LGBTQ bills of the year: expanding a 2022 state law, which prevents transgender girls from competing in K-12 sports, to college athletics.
The legislation states that intercollegiate athletic teams must be categorized as male, female, or coeducational, meaning transgender women will be barred from participating on women’s teams.
With a new governor, Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, taking office on Jan. 13, it’s likely the proposal will have his support, according to The Advocate.
Indiana has reported no issues with transgender athletes at the collegiate level.
Community Summit Aims To Unite LGBTQ People
Photo via Montrose Center, Facebook.
A community-wide summit in Houston hoped to provide resources and address community needs for queer people, according to OutSmart.
The event, which took place Jan. 11, offered workshops, cultural programming, and panel discussions.
It will also be a platform to educate LGBTQ people on their rights. Workshops and panels addressed things like civil rights topics, medical and mental care access, and legal planning.
The summit took place at The Montrose Center. The event materialized after some of Houston’s leading organizations met in November to discuss how to strengthen support for the LGBTQ community.
Lawmakers Pass Multiple Anti-LGBTQ Bills
The Ohio Statehouse. Photo by Blervis, Wikimedia Commons.
A wave of anti-LGBTQ bills was passed during Ohio’s most recent General Assembly, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed a transgender school bathroom ban into law that will take effect on Feb. 24.
An anonymous transgender high school student said the new law will only create confusion in public restrooms.
“I don’t look like a woman, so … I feel like a creep going into the women’s restroom when I’m not one,” the student said. “People will be like, ‘Why are you in here?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m following the law.’ I wish I wasn’t.”
Lawmakers also passed a bill that forces teachers to “out” a student’s sexuality to their parents.
Ohio already has a law in place that bans gender-affirming care for minors.
The onslaught of bills targeting LGBTQ youth is concerning for TransOhio Executive Director Dara Adkison.
“It’s exhausting for a number of reasons,” Adkison said. “I never thought 10 years ago that so many legislatures would be so comfortable openly interrogating minors about what kinds of genitals they had in open session. It’s a bizarre reality, and it’s awful when you know a lot of the kids directly.”
