For the first time in its 40-year existence, the Human Rights Campaign, the largest civil rights organization for this community in the country, declared a national state of emergency for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

 

The reason? The unprecedented approval of over 70 anti-LGBTQIA+ laws in various state legislatures, the majority of which are Republican-led.

 

But that's not all. The organization tracked the increase in anti-LGBTIQ+ bills and, upon compiling the information, revealed that 500 initiatives of this kind were introduced in 2023. A significant portion of the count consists of anti-transgender laws.

 

Some of the enacted laws were deemed discriminatory by the Campaign as they infringe upon the rights and gender identity of individuals. Among them is the "Don't Say Gay" law, passed in 2022 in Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis, which prohibits teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in the early years of education.

 

The campaign asserts that this is in response to the unprecedented surge in discriminatory legislation in state legislatures. To date, over 70 anti-LGBTQ laws have been passed, more than double the number approved last year.

 

According to a report titled "LGBTQ+ Americans Under Attack," these new laws are the result of coordinated attacks by well-funded extremist groups within the Republican Party.