Our Rights and Freedoms as of 2023
By Mya Tran
The end of the year is a time of reflection. A time where we look back on the 300-some days and see all that has happened. A lot has changed in 2023. From rising artists and new TV shows to war and famine, this year has been a rollercoaster across all fronts. Legislation has been no different. In specific regards to the LGBTQ+ community, 2023 has been a huge year. Here is a quick summary of some of the legislation that has been moving through the courts this year.
The unfortunate reality is that a record number of anti-trans bills have been introduced this year. According to Trans Legislation Tracker 590 bills have been introduced to 49 states in 2023. Only 125 failed. This group (which is quoted in several large news sources, such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, and the queer magazine, them) uses ongoing, independent data to follow trans legislation in the US. Currently, they are tracking 36 bills that will negatively affect trans people nationally. The bills largely cover healthcare, education, and the military. One of them is US HB736 which will set in motion the ability “To require elementary and middle schools that receive Federal funds to obtain parental consent before changing a minor child’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or allowing a child to change the child’s sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms”. In short, schools cannot correctly gender a transgender child without parental consent.
One of the more active topics of 2023 is drag queens. Over the year, several states have attempted to implement some form of “drag ban”. They cite that it is perverse and unfit to be near children. To be quite frank, my university hosts a drag show every year, and with each year the audience gets larger and larger. The reality is that people love drag shows. It’s fun, it’s relaxing, it’s silly, and it’s beautiful. The performance of femininity tied with an actual performance and often a blunt and loud form of humor brings people together and lowers their guards. Which is probably why several of the bans were overturned and ruled unconstitutional. Just this past September, Texas’s ban on drag was ruled as violating the first amendment by a federal judge, over being active for only a short while. Though there’s a lot of bad being pushed through courts right now, it remains true that the queer community is a pillar in most communities, and we do not hesitate to push back against hatred and bigotry.
Across the globe, more and more countries are legalizing same sex marriage and queer adoption. This does not mean, however, they we can sit back and hope for the best. These things come about because we fight for them. Homophobes, transphobes, and people who are simply eager to stir the pot fear the unity and community that queer people carry with them. We are bound together in our fight for our rights, and our freedoms.
So, what can you do to help? There’s several things. Protesting, calling your representatives and senators, emailing them, starting petitions, all of these are great ways to voice your opinion and your desire for your own safety and for the safety of your friends and family. However, I understand that those forms of involvement can be tiring. Believe me, I’ve been there. When I don’t have the energy to march a petition into my statehouse, I turn to education. I make sure I stay as well informed as I can, and I make sure to tell the people around me, regardless of their involvement with the LGBTQ+ community. I engage in conversations with my peers about what’s happening in the world and I make sure to support queer creatives and businesses. All of these are ways we can stand together as a united front against the legal attacks on our lives.
Stay safe, stay strong.
About the Author:
Mya Tran is an incoming junior at Butler University, in Indianapolis, IN. They are currently studying English on the creative writing track and German. Growing up in a small college town with limited queer role models, Tran has spent her life with her nose in the books, looking for someone to relate to.
