These bills are not addressing any real problems and are not being solicited by constituents. Instead, this effort is being led by far-right national organizations that try to score political points by sowing fear and hatred. What they don’t understand is that opposing equality is highly unpopular – even among Trump voters – and states that pass laws that threaten our community will face serious economic, legal and reputational damage. In many cases, these legislative pressures are being prioritized over COVID-19’s response and relief. This momentum comes as equality measures gain not only popular support, but legislative momentum at the federal level, with the Biden government defending equality in the first executive actions and Congress considering the Equality Act in the first 100 days of the new government.
A struggle driven by national anti-LGBTQ groups, not by local legislators or public concern
These bills come from the same forces that sparked past struggles against equality, pushing impersonating bills into the homes of states – hateful anti-LGBTQ organizations like the Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom (designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a group of hate) and Eagle Forum among others.
- For example, Montana’s HB 112, the first anti-transgender sports bill to be passed by a legislative chamber in any state, was worked on by Alliance Defending Freedom.
Trans equality is popular: anti-transgender legislation is a low priority, even among Trump voters
In a survey of ten undecided states conducted by the Human Rights Campaign & Hart Research Group last fall:
- At least 60% of Trump voters in each of the 10 decisive states say that trans people should be able to live freely and openly.
- At least 87% of respondents in each of the 10 decisive states say that transsexuals should have equal access to medical care, with many states breaking support from 90%
- When respondents were asked how they prioritized the importance of banning trans people from playing sports compared to other political issues, the issue came in last, with between 1% and 3% prioritizing the issue.
States that pass anti-transgender legislation suffer economic, legal and reputational damage
Analyzes conducted following previous divisive anti-transgender bills across the country, such as bathroom bills introduced in Texas and North Carolina and a ban on anti-transgender sports in Idaho, show that there would be or have been devastating consequences .
- Idaho is the only state to have passed a ban on anti-trans sports so far, and that law was quickly lifted by a federal district court. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) spoke out against the Idaho bill and the like and subsequently withdrew the planned tournament games from Idaho.
- The Associated Press projected that the North Carolina bathroom bill could have cost the state $ 3.76 billion in 10 years.
- During a fight over an anti-transgender bathroom bill in 2017, the Texas Association of Business estimated $ 8.5 billion in economic losses, risking 185,000 jobs in the process due to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and cancellations of professional sporting events , banning taxpayers funded travel to these states, cancellation of film productions and companies moving projects out of the state.