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. Illinois - Gov. Pritzker signs LGBTQ+ protections into law. One new law will update existing rules governing foster care to make the system in Illinois more affirming for trans and non-binary youth. A second law the governor signed will make it easier for LGBTQ+ couples to marry. Louisiana - Gov. Edwards promises to veto anti-LGBTQ+ bills. The Governor announced his intention to veto a ban on medically-necessary care for trans youth and a “Don't Say LGBTQ” bill in a press conference on June 8th, following the adjournment of the state legislative session. Ohio - State House combines anti-trans athlete ban, ban on medically-necessary care for trans and nonbinary youth. The House Public Health Committee held a hearing on HB68, an anti-trans healthcare ban, on June 14th. During the hearing, substitute bill language was approved which inserted provisions contained in HB6, an anti-trans athlete ban proposal, into the text of HB68. The bill was then reported out of committee by a vote of 10-5 and will be considered by the full House. Bill to allow parents to opt children out of so-called “sexuality content” passes out of committee. HB8 passed out of the Primary and Secondary Education Committee on June 13th on a 7-5 vote, after the bill was amended to give parents the right to opt their children out of any lessons with “any oral or written instruction, presentation, image or description of so-called sexual concepts or gender ideology.” |