Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill Seeking to Erase Trans Folks From Public Life

This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ NATION.

Gov. Katie Hobbs reiterated her stance, stating firmly, “I will consistently refuse to endorse any legislation that undermines the interests of Arizonans.”

On Tuesday, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed 13 Republican bills, among them Senate Bill 1628, dubbed the “Arizona Women’s Bill of Rights,” which LGBTQ+ advocates argue would have marginalized transgender individuals by altering legal recognition in the state.

Introduced by state Senator Sine Kerr (R) in February, SB 1628 mirrored legislation proposed in other states such as Indiana and Iowa. It aimed to substitute the term “gender” with “sex” in state law, defining the latter strictly in biological terms. The proposed bill sought to interpret gender-specific terms such as “boy,” “girl,” “man,” “woman,” “mother,” and “father” based solely on biological sex. Additionally, it would have prohibited transgender individuals from accessing single-sex facilities like bathrooms, locker rooms, sports teams, and domestic violence shelters that do not correspond to their assigned sex at birth.

Critics contended that the bill’s passage would have effectively erased the presence of transgender and nonbinary individuals from public life in Arizona.

In February, State Senator Eva Burch (D) voiced her strong opposition to the attempt to marginalize transgender individuals, stating, “This effort to erase trans people and try to force them to fit into boxes that they don’t fit into is totally unacceptable to me.” She emphasized her concern not for transgender individuals themselves but for the consequences of continued mistreatment toward them.

Hugo Polanco from the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona highlighted the potential harm of SB 1628, warning that it would have hindered transgender individuals from obtaining accurate legal documents reflecting their gender identity. He stressed the importance of such documents for everyone, including transgender individuals, emphasizing that IDs should accurately represent individuals’ identities.

Earlier this month, the Arizona Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly passed SB 1628 in a 31–28 vote along party lines. Despite this, Governor Hobbs, who had previously expressed her opposition to the bill, vetoed it, reaffirming her commitment to protecting the interests of Arizonans.

This isn’t the first instance of Governor Hobbs vetoing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. In April 2023, she vetoed S.B. 1005, aimed at permitting parents to sue school districts over LGBTQ+ supportive policies. Similarly, in May 2023, she vetoed S.B. 1001, which proposed requiring transgender and nonbinary students to obtain parental consent to use pronouns and names matching their gender identity. Moreover, in June 2023, she vetoed two bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights, one concerning restroom use by transgender students and another described as a veiled attempt to censor literature.

Governor Hobbs also took proactive steps in support of LGBTQ+ rights. In June 2023, she signed two executive orders, one allowing state employee health insurance plans to cover gender-affirming surgery and another banning state agencies from endorsing or funding “conversion therapy.”