GOP bill seeks to fire teachers who affirm trans students even if parents are okay with it

‘I vote present’: Democrats object to NC Senate vote on LGBTQ bill

*This is reported by WUNC.

The state Senate approved a bill Tuesday that includes multiple controversial LGBTQ policies. Democrats objected to a GOP move to add the proposals to a popular House bill, prompting a heated fight over the Senate’s rules.

The original version of House Bill 805 added new consent requirements for pornographic websites, and it got unanimous support from Democrats and Republicans. It would allow people who appear in sexually explicit photos and videos online the option to have them removed.

The Senate added a lot more. Its bill would allow lawsuits against medical providers over gender transitions, and change the definition of biological sex in state law to exclude gender identity. The new definitions would say that gender identity is “a subjective internal sense” that “shall not be treated as legally or biologically equivalent to sex.” The change could affect transgender people seeking to change their birth certificate.

Sen. Buck Newton, R-Wilson, is the bill’s sponsor. “We cannot ignore the biological realities, and we believe our state laws should reflect that,” he said. “Women are being systemically erased from our language, whether it’s changing words from pregnant women to pregnant person, or mother to a birthing parent.”

The bill would also require schools to provide parents with a list of school library books and allow the parents to ban their children from checking out specific titles.

But Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch says the new provisions are harmful, and it means the original pornography bill likely won’t make it to the governor’s desk.

“When my Republican colleagues loaded this bill with culture war amendments, they didn’t just distract from the problem, they made it impossible to solve,” she said.

The bill put Democrats in the difficult position of voting against legislation titled “Prevent Sexual Exploitation.” Instead of voting no, they took an unusual approach. Asked to vote yes or no, most responded “I vote present.”

Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, that’s not an option in the state Senate.

“Notice, you have a green button and a red button, not an extra ‘whatever I came up with today’ button,” he said. “Those are the options under the Senate rules.”

The dispute put a lengthy delay on the vote as senators paged through their rulebooks. Batch said the only law she could find requiring legislators to vote yes or no dates to the 1700s.

“What it does say, if we don’t actually move and we don’t discharge our duty, which I assume that my colleagues are saying today, it’s a $10 fine,” she said, brandishing a stack of cash on the Senate floor. “I have $10 for every single one of the members in my caucus who voted present.”

But Republicans decided to count the present votes as excused absences, so on paper, Tuesday’s vote looks nearly unanimous in support of the controversial bill. It’s unclear if House Republicans will approve the Senate’s version of the bill.

Even if the House doesn’t take it up, Wednesday’s vote could wind up in campaign ads next year. “This was about elections and mailers and things like that,” said Sen. Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake. “You can already see, somebody didn’t get the memo, and they’ve been attacking members on voting no, when we did not vote no. That’s absolutely what it’s about.”

June 25, 2025 0

Iowa approves bill removing gender identity protections despite massive protests

*This is reported by PBS

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa moved to remove gender identity protections from the state’s civil rights code Thursday despite massive protests by opponents who say it could expose transgender people to discrimination in numerous areas of life.

The Iowa House approved the bill that would strip the state civil rights code of protections based on gender identity, less than an hour after the state Senate backed the legislation. First introduced last week, the measure raced through the legislative process.

Hundreds of LGBTQ+ advocates streamed into the Capitol rotunda on Thursday waving signs reading “Trans rights are human rights” and chanting slogans including “No hate in our state!” There was a heavy police presence, with state troopers stationed around the rotunda. Of the 167 people who signed up to testify at the public hearing before a House committee, all but 24 were opposed to the bill.

Protesters that watched the vote from the House gallery loudly booed and shouted “Shame!” as the House adjourned. Many admonished Iowa state Rep. Steven Holt, who floor managed the bill and delivered a fierce defense of it before it passed.

The bill would remove gender identity as a protected class from the state’s civil rights law and explicitly define female and male, as well as gender, which would be considered a synonym for sex and “shall not be considered a synonym or shorthand expression for gender identity, experienced gender, gender expression, or gender role.”

The measure would be the first legislative action removing nondiscrimination protections based on gender identity, said Logan Casey, director of policy research at the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ rights think tank.

Supporters of the change say the current law incorrectly codified the idea that people can transition to another gender and granted transgender women access to spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams that should be protected for people who were assigned female at birth.

The legislation now goes to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has been supportive of efforts to limit gender identity protections.

The Iowa lawmakers’ actions came on the same day the Georgia House backed away from removing gender protections from the state’s hate crimes law, which was passed in 2020 after the death of Ahmaud Arbery.

Iowa’s current civil rights law protects against discrimination based on race, color, creed, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability status.

Sexual orientation and gender identity were not originally included in the state’s Civil Rights Act of 1965. They were added by the Democratic-controlled Legislature in 2007, also with the support of about a dozen Republicans across the two chambers.

Iowa Republicans say their changes are intended to reinforce the state’s ban on sports participation and public bathroom access for transgender students. If approved, the bill would go to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who signed those policies into law. A spokesperson for Reynolds declined to comment on whether she would sign the bill.

V Fixmer-Oraiz, a county supervisor in eastern Johnson County, was the first to testify against the bill at the public hearing. A trans Iowan, they said they have faced their “fair share of discrimination” already and worried that the bill will expose trans Iowans to even more.

“Is it not the role of government to affirm rather than to deny law-abiding citizens their inalienable rights?” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “The people of Iowa deserve better.”

Among those speaking in support of the bill was Shellie Flockhart of Dallas Center, who said she is in favor as a woman and a mother, a “defender of women’s rights” and someone “who believes in the truth of God’s creation.”

“Identity does not change biology,” Flockhart said.

About half of U.S. states include gender identity in their civil rights code to protect against discrimination in housing and public places, such as stores or restaurants, according to the Movement Advancement Project. Some additional states do not explicitly protect against such discrimination but it is included in legal interpretations of statutes.

Iowa’s Supreme Court has expressly rejected the argument that discrimination based on sex includes discrimination based on gender identity.

Several Republican-led legislatures are also pushing to enact more laws this year creating legal definitions of male and female based on the reproductive organs at birth following an executive order from President Donald Trump.

February 28, 2025 0

DHS quietly eliminates ban on surveillance based on sexual orientation and gender identity

*This is reported on by the Advocate.com

The Department of Homeland Security has eliminated policies preventing the investigation of individuals or groups solely based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis quietly updated its policy manual earlier this month, as first reported by Bloomberg, removing LGBTQ+ identities from the General Requirements section that prohibit surveillance based solely on immutable characteristics.

The manual now states: “OSIC Personnel are prohibited from engaging in intelligence activities based solely on an individual’s or group’s race, ethnicity, sex, religion, country of birth, nationality, or disability. The use of these characteristics is permitted only in combination with other information, and only where (1) intended and reasonably believed to support one or more of I&A’s national or departmental missions and (2) narrowly focused in support of that mission (or those missions).”

The manual previously stated, via the internet archive: “OSIC Personnel are prohibited from engaging in intelligence activities based solely on an individual’s or group’s race, ethnicity, gender,religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, country of birth, nationality, or disability. The use of these characteristics is permitted only in combination with other information, and only where (1) intended and reasonably believed to support one or more of I&A’s national or departmental missions and (2) narrowly focused in support of that mission (or those missions).”

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DHS quietly eliminates ban on surveillance based on sexual orientation and gender identity

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The DHS quietly updated its policy manual earlier this month, removing LGBTQ+ identities from the section prohibiting surveillance based solely on immutable characteristics.

Ryan Adamczeski

February 26 2025 1:56 PM EST

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The Department of Homeland Security has eliminated policies preventing the investigation of individuals or groups solely based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The manual previously stated, via the internet archive: “OSIC Personnel are prohibited from engaging in intelligence activities based solely on an individual’s or group’s race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, country of birth, nationality, or disability. The use of these characteristics is permitted only in combination with other information, and only where (1) intended and reasonably believed to support one or more of I&A’s national or departmental missions and (2) narrowly focused in support of that mission (or those missions).”

Trump two-gender edict would upend “X” identity on passports

This article first appeared on CNN.com

The federal government is set to only recognize two sexes, male and female, under an executive order that President Donald Trump is soon expected to sign.

The order would reverse efforts by the Biden administration to broaden gender identity designations, including on passports.

“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump said during his inaugural address Monday, taking an early step to fulfill one of his culture war campaign promises.

The order, a Trump administration official told reporters Monday, is aimed at “defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truths to the federal government.” Male and female “are sexes that are not changeable, and they are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” the official said.

The federal government would also shift from using the term “gender” to “sex,” and that sex would be “an individual’s immutable biological classification,” the official said.

All government agencies would ensure that official documents, including passports and visas, “reflect sex accurately,” the official said. Also, departments running federal prisons, migrant shelters, rape shelters and other “intimate spaces” would be directed to protect single-sex spaces for privacy. And employee records would also adhere to the executive order, as would federal departments’ messaging.

“Agencies are no longer going to promote gender ideology through communication forms and other messages,” the official said, adding that grants and contracts would be reviewed to ensure that “federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology.”

Reversing Biden expansion

Trump’s executive order would dismantle efforts by the Biden administration to be more inclusive of Americans’ gender identification.

As of 2022, US citizens have been able to select “X” as their gender marker on passports. One’s marker does not need to match the gender on citizenship documents or photo ID, nor is medical documentation needed to change one’s gender, according to the State Department.

“We promote the freedom, dignity, and equality of all people – including LGBTQI+ individuals,” the department’s website says. “We are demonstrating this commitment to better serve all U.S. citizens, regardless of gender identity.”

Later that year, Americans were able to start changing their sex identification with the Social Security Administration without needing to provide medical certification. However, Social Security’s record systems still require a designation of male or female, though the administration said it was exploring policy and systems updates to support an “X” designation.

“The Social Security Administration’s Equity Action Plan includes a commitment to decrease administrative burdens and ensure people who identify as gender diverse or transgender have options in the Social Security number card application process,” said Kilolo Kijakazi, the administration’s acting commissioner at the time.

January 20, 2025 0

Ohio Governor Approves Ban on Transgender Students Using Preferred Bathrooms

This blog is originally appeared at ABC News

Ohio Governor Approves Ban on Transgender Students Using Preferred Bathrooms

Texas Transgender Community Fights Back After Capitol Bathroom Ban

Residents of Odessa, Texas, are speaking out after the city council amended a local ordinance to ban transgender individuals from using public restrooms that align with their gender identity. Meanwhile, in Ohio, Republican Governor Mike DeWine has signed a law banning transgender students from using bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. The new legislation mandates that students in K-12 schools, as well as colleges and universities, must use the restroom or facility designated for their sex assigned at birth.

The law clarifies that it does not prohibit schools from constructing single-occupancy restrooms and allows individuals of the opposite gender to enter a bathroom to assist someone else, if necessary.

MORE: Congressional Bathroom Ban Adds to Growing Transgender Policy Debate

Ohio now joins at least 14 other states in restricting transgender individuals from using bathrooms that match their gender identity, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Supporters argue that the ban addresses concerns about student privacy and safety, while critics contend that it fuels baseless fears about transgender students and could put them at greater risk of discrimination or harm.

Governor DeWine’s office did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment prior to the bill’s signing. However, in the summer, he told reporters that he was reviewing the “specific language” of the legislation.

“I’m supportive of kids being able to use bathrooms that align with their gender assigned at birth for their protection, but I’ll need to review the specific language of the bill,” DeWine told reporters.

Transgender healthcare, bathroom access, sports participation, and other related issues have become central to the Republican legislative agenda across the country in recent years. This trend has led to a surge in anti-LGBTQ bills, with hundreds introduced during the 2024 legislative session alone, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

DeWine has occasionally bucked the state’s Republican leadership on transgender matters. In December 2023, he vetoed a bill that would have banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth, including restrictions on puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries.

December 13, 2024 0

GOP Senator Proposes Legislation to Strip Legal Recognition of Transgender Individuals

This blog is originally appeared at LGBTQ Nation.

He claimed that his experience delivering babies proves that transgender people don’t actually exist, though his argument remains unclear.

Washington, D.C. — Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) questioned Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing focused on the President’s proposed budget request for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2025. The hearing examined resources and authorities requested to protect the homeland.

This week, Sen. Marshall introduced the “Defining Male and Female Act of 2024,” a bill aimed at legally erasing the recognition of transgender individuals. Marshall argued that the bill is a response to what he describes as the Biden administration’s effort to “replace biological sex with dangerous radical gender ideology.”

The proposed legislation consists largely of definitions, with terms like “father” and “girl” now explicitly tied to the words “male” and “female.” Under the bill, “male” and “female” are defined as individuals who “naturally have, had, will have, or would have, but for a congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports and utilizes sperm or eggs for fertilization.”

Marshall claims the bill would prevent transgender individuals from participating in school sports and ensure “sex separation” in spaces like restrooms, locker rooms, dorms, prisons, and shelters for victims of sexual assault.

“As a physician who has delivered over 5,000 babies, I can confidently say that politicizing children’s gender and using them as pawns in a radical woke agenda is not only wrong, it is extremely dangerous,” Marshall said. However, his experience as a former OB/GYN does not make him an expert on transgender issues. “We must codify the legal definition of sex based on science, not feelings. With this legislation, we can fight back against the Biden-Harris Administration’s assault on our children.”

Marshall’s assertion that the Biden administration is behind the existence of transgender people is inaccurate; transgender individuals have existed long before Biden’s presidency and will continue to exist long after it. Transgender people are not an “ideology”; they are human beings.

A similar bill was introduced in July in the House of Representatives by Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), who also claimed her bill would prevent Title IX protections from applying to transgender people. However, the argument that transgender individuals are not protected by Title IX hinges on the notion that discrimination based on gender identity is discrimination based on sex assigned at birth. In other words, if a school allows cisgender girls to compete on a sports team but excludes transgender girls, this constitutes discrimination based on sex, as the only difference between the two groups is their sex assigned at birth. Title IX bans sex-based discrimination in education.

While Marshall’s bill is unlikely to pass in the current Senate controlled by Democrats, its introduction could signal plans to reintroduce it next session when Republicans are projected to regain control of the chamber.

December 12, 2024 0

Twenty-four states submit an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to prohibit transgender girls from participating in women’s sports

This blog is originally appeared at LGBTQ Nation

There is no conclusive evidence to support the claim that transgender girls possess a substantial biological advantage in sports.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, along with attorneys general from 23 other states, filed an amicus brief advocating for the prohibition of transgender girls participating in sports.

The brief specifically requests the Supreme Court to review and overturn an injunction issued by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had blocked Arizona’s ban on transgender athletes.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall collaborated with Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin to draft the amicus brief, with support from attorneys general in 22 other states, including Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.

The injunction being challenged was issued in September by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a unanimous 3-0 decision. This injunction blocked Arizona’s Save Women’s Sports Act, a law imposing a blanket ban on transgender girls participating in girls’ sports, regardless of their transition timeline or use of puberty blockers. The lawsuit challenging the law was filed by two transgender girls and their parents seeking to overturn the ban.

In the court’s decision, Judge Morgan Christen wrote, “[The law] permits all students other than transgender women and girls to play on teams consistent with their gender identities. Transgender women and girls alone are barred from doing so. This is the essence of discrimination.”

The amicus brief presented several arguments in favor of the ban. One claim was that implementing policies allowing transgender girls to join girls’ sports teams would be costly and logistically difficult for schools—despite evidence showing that many schools nationwide have successfully adopted trans-inclusive policies without significant challenges.

The brief also asserted that sex and gender identity are not equivalent under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, a stance that contradicts legal precedent established in Bostock v. Clayton County. In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that protections against sex-based discrimination include transgender individuals due to their gender identity.

Additionally, the attorneys general argued that the Circuit Court’s ruling was legally flawed. They suggested that the decision could be interpreted in ways more favorable to their case and called for a rational-basis review. This review would evaluate whether the plaintiffs’ claims were consistent with constitutional equal protection principles or whether they failed to meet that standard.

It remains uncertain whether these arguments will prevail. The Supreme Court has not announced whether it will hear this case. However, the Court has already agreed to consider United States v. Skrmetti, which will address the legality of state bans on gender-affirming care for minors.

Evidence does not support claims that transgender girls have a significant biological advantage in sports. In fact, studies indicate that transitioning, including the use of puberty blockers, can mitigate differences and create a fairer playing field.

Despite this, anti-trans rhetoric continues to shape these legal battles. “Our coalition is determined to preserve the 50 years of work that expanded opportunities and leveled the playing field for girls and women in sports,” Attorney General Marshall stated in a press release.

He added, “But the left continues to pander to a small minority of their base… Parents of daughters are rightfully outraged at the loss of positions on teams and college scholarships. As our multiple briefs to the Supreme Court show, it’s time to return to fairness in opportunity for sports.”

November 27, 2024 0

Ohio Senate Approves Controversial Transgender Bathroom Ban

This blog is originally appeared at LGBTQ Nation

The bill affects all students across the state and will limit the rights of thousands of transgender individuals if signed into law by the governor.

On Wednesday, the Ohio State Senate approved Senate Bill 104, a transgender bathroom ban for all students in the state, including those in higher education.

Titled the “Protect All Students Act,” the bill passed with a 24-7 vote, strictly along party lines.

The bill states, “A school shall designate each student restroom, locker room, changing room, or shower room that is accessible by multiple students at the same time, whether located in a school building or in a facility used by the school for a school-sponsored activity, for the exclusive use by students of the male biological sex only or by students of the female biological sex only.”

The bill will soon be sent to Governor Mike DeWine (R) for either approval or veto. While he is expected to sign it, the Associated Press reports that he will first conduct a legal review.

The ban exempts school faculty, children under 10 who require family assistance, and individuals with disabilities.

Rather than defining gender, the bill relies on the concept of biological sex, which it defines as “the biological indication of male and female, including sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and nonambiguous internal and external genitalia present at birth, without regard to an individual’s psychological, chosen, or subjective experience of gender.”

The bill does not address or provide exceptions for intersex individuals, who do not fit neatly into traditional biological sex categories.

The Ohio Center for Christian Virtue strongly supports the bill. “Today is a huge victory for children and families in Ohio,” said David Mahan, the group’s policy director, calling it “common-sense legislation.”

However, Jocelyn Rosnick, Policy Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, expressed strong opposition. “We are incredibly disheartened by the Ohio General Assembly’s continuous attacks against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals across Ohio. Senate Bill 104 is a cruel invasion of students’ rights to privacy, which could result in unwarranted governmental disclosures of private, personal information.”

She added, “If allowed to go into effect, SB 104 will create unsafe environments for trans and gender non-conforming individuals of all ages. This bill ignores the material reality that transgender people endure higher rates of sexual violence and assaults, particularly while using public restrooms, than people who are not transgender. All Ohioans deserve to access the facilities they need, in alignment with their gender identity, without fear of harassment or bullying. The ACLU of Ohio remains steadfast in our commitment to standing with trans Ohioans and is closely considering next steps.”

November 22, 2024 0

Elon Musk’s Trans Daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, Calls Him a “Grubby Control Freak”

This blog is originally appeared at Them

Musk, who is said to have spent over $130 million supporting Trump’s election campaign, misgendered his daughter on X and attributed her transition to the “woke mind virus.”

Vivian Jenna Wilson, the estranged trans daughter of billionaire Elon Musk, has opened up about her consideration of leaving the U.S. following Donald Trump’s election victory. She also set the record straight once more after Musk falsely claimed she had been “killed by the woke mind virus” due to her transition.

On November 6, the day after the U.S. presidential election, Wilson took to the Meta-owned platform Threads, writing, “I’ve thought this for a while, but yesterday confirmed it for me. I don’t see my future being in the United States.”

She continued, “Even if [Trump] is only in office for 4 years, even if the anti-trans regulations magically don’t happen, the people who willingly voted for this are not going anywhere anytime soon.”

A second Trump presidency could have a devastating impact on LGBTQ+ Americans. On his 2024 campaign website, Trump pledged to enact a federal ban on gender-affirming care for minors and to redefine gender at the federal level, recognizing only male and female as assigned at birth. These promises come amid the Republican party’s ongoing use of anti-trans rhetoric. According to data from Ad Impact, cited by Washington Post reporter Casey Parks on November 5, Republicans spent nearly $215 million on anti-trans TV ads during the 2024 election cycle.

Meanwhile, Musk’s post-election comments included a response to a New York Post tweet about Wilson’s desire to leave the U.S., where he misgendered her and wrote, “The woke mind virus killed my son.”

The billionaire has spent much of this year aligning himself with Trump. According to CNBC, Musk has invested at least $130 million in pro-Trump campaign efforts, in addition to his frequent endorsements of the convicted felon on X. In his personal time, Musk has become notorious for lashing out against the existence of trans people, often dragging his daughter, Wilson, into his recent anti-trans rants.

Musk previously revived the claim that Wilson was “killed by the woke mind virus” during a July 22 appearance on Jordan B. Peterson’s podcast (and in subsequent X posts), attributing her transition to the so-called virus.

Wilson responded to Musk’s latest claim on November 8 via Threads, writing, “So you’re still going with the sob-story about how ‘woe is me, my child was infected by something-or-other and that’s totally the only reason why they hate me. Just don’t… please don’t look into it, god forbid I’m anything but the victim in every scenario imaginable 😥.”

She continued, “Did anyone actually believe this? It’s just tired, it’s overdone, it’s cliché. I’m just bored, honestly, like is this really the best you could come up with?”

Wilson went on to theorize that the reason Musk’s post struck a nerve was that “you’re mad that you finally don’t have power over someone.”

“You’re just upset because at the end of the day everyone around you knows you as a delusional and grubby little control freak who hasn’t matured as a person for 38 years,” she added. “However, last time I checked that’s not my fucking problem.”

Wilson previously filed a name and gender change petition in 2022, citing both her gender identity and the fact that she “no longer live[d] or wish[ed] to be related to [her] biological father in any way, shape, or form.” In a July interview with NBC News, she described Musk as an absent father who harassed her as a child for being feminine.

November 15, 2024 0

DHS quietly eliminates ban on surveillance based on sexual orientation and gender identity

The DHS quietly updated its policy manual earlier this month, removing LGBTQ+ identities from the section prohibiting surveillance based solely on immutable characteristics.

Trending stories

Reversing Biden expansion

Ohio Governor Approves Ban on Transgender Students Using Preferred Bathrooms

He claimed that his experience delivering babies proves that transgender people don’t actually exist, though his argument remains unclear.

There is no conclusive evidence to support the claim that transgender girls possess a substantial biological advantage in sports.

The bill affects all students across the state and will limit the rights of thousands of transgender individuals if signed into law by the governor.