Warning: While some of the following stories describe legislative actions to celebrate and affirm LGBTQ+ people, many cover legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans and non-binary youth. Please be kind to yourself and use your discretion while reading this section. Advisory: State news is representative but not exhaustive due to space constraint; feel free to forward news about your state to advocacy@pflag.org to consider for inclusion. Arizona - Legislation to ban preferred pronouns in schools anticipates veto. Gov. Katie Hobbs has made clear she will veto Senate Bill 1001 if the House of Representatives approves it. California - California Considers ending ban on travel to anti-LGBTQ+ states. State Senate Leader Toni Atkins, who is a lesbian, introduced legislation to repeal the ban and instead create a pro-LGBTQ+ advertising campaign in those states. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence celebrate 44th annual Easter in Dolores Park. The San Francisco tradition featuring the Sisters, who focus on fund-raising to support LGBTQ+ organizations and events, happens on April 9th, recognizing this year’s attacks by states and municipalities with anti-equality bills, especially those targeting trans youth, drag queens, book bans and curriculum censorship. Florida - House passes “Don’t Say Gay” expansion bill. On March 31st the state house voted 77-35 to pass House Bill 1069 which would also allow challenges to any book used in Florida schools and prevent parents from requiring schools to use their children's correct pronouns. Senate advances ban on medically necessary care on April 4th. SB254 would prevent medically necessary care for trans kids, and allow them to be removed from the custody of one parent and given to another if one parent supports their gender identity. The bill would also bar insurance companies and the state government from covering medically necessary health care for transgender people under their health plans or Medicaid. See “Take Action” above to see how PFLAGers join Equality Florida to combat these bills. Indiana - One in four LGBTQ+ high school students have attempted to die by suicide. The new data from 2021 shows that LGBTQ+ students were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide than their straight cisgender peers, of whom less than 10 percent attempted suicide. Kansas - Legislature overrides Governor’s veto of trans sport ban. The vote which was 84-40 in the state House and 28-12 in the state Senate override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of House Bill 2238. HB 2238 would block trans athletes from competing as their preferred gender identity in Kindergarten through College. Anti-trans bathroom ban bill sent to Governor. Gov. Laura Kelly has indicated she will veto the legislation which would ban trans people from changing their name and gender on drivers licenses and from using any public sex segregated facility that matches their gender identity. It is expected that the legislature will override the governor's veto. New Jersey - Gov. Murphy Signs Executive Order creates state as safe have, protects medically necessary health care. Signed on April 3rd, EO No. 326 establishes New Jersey as a safe haven, directing all state departments and agencies to protect all persons, including health care professionals and patients, against potential repercussions resulting from providing, receiving, assisting in providing or receiving, seeking, or traveling to New Jersey to obtain medically necessary health care services for transgender people. New York - Yeshiva University claims religious, not educational, institution status, is in court for banning its LGBTQ+ club, and faces $230 MM taxpayer funding loss risk. The university, now under state investigation, argued in court that it is a Modern Orthodox Jewish religious institution, which would exempt it from anti-discrimination laws and allow it to reject the club. Before the 2021 lawsuit, Yeshiva described itself as an educational institution, which made it eligible for taxpayer funds but obliged it to follow city and state nondiscrimination laws. North Carolina - State Rep. Tricia Cotham changes Parties. Her District is in the Charlotte area, and the change permits override-capable supermajority if all Members are present. Ohio - Arrest made in firebombing of church. Aimenn Penny, of Alliance, Ohio was arrested on March 31st and admitted to the FBI that he attempted to use Molotov cocktails to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland because of its plans to host a drag event on April 1st. Texas - Veterans group protects Transgender Day of Visibility. The group, Armed for Equality, was founded around a year ago in Austin and protects LGBTQ+ events from threats of violence, including San Antonio’s “March for Us'' event held on April 31st as part of Transgender Day of Visibility. Bill to ban Pride in schools considered by legislature. House Bill 1507 which just had its first hearing, would ban public schools from allowing programs that are "dedicated to celebrating or providing special instruction regarding a sexual preference," though the bill’s sponsor Rep. Ken King repeatedly refused to admit the legislation would prevent celebration of Pride in schools. Wisconsin - Protasiewicz wins election for state supreme court seat. Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz will shift the balance of the court at an important time, as the justices will likely hear a challenge to the state’s abortion ban. Virginia - LGBTQ+ group to expand mission in Northern Virginia. The oldest continuously operating LGBTQ+ organization in Virginia, The Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance, is changing its name to Equality NoVa and including Alexandria and Fairfax, Virginia as part of its area of operations. | 
