ACLU Data Shows 2022 Record Year for Anti-LGBTQ Bills

LGBTQ community members, allies, and activists have continually voiced the dire situation regarding anti-LGBTQ legislation in the U.S. If the constant headlines aren’t enough assurance, according to a CNN analysis of data compiled by the American Civi Liberties Union (ACLU), 2022 is already a record-breaking year for anti-LGBTQ legislation.

“While more states every year work to pass laws to protect LGBTQ people, we continue to see state legislatures advancing bills that target transgender people, limit local protections, and allow the use of religion to discriminate,” ACLU states.

State lawmakers across the country have introduced at least 162 bills targeting LGBTQ Americans this year through July 1. To put this into perspective, at the halfway point in the year, 2022’s tally is just above the 151 bills considered for the entirety of 2021 and more than double the 76 bills considered in 2020.

The collection of bills span across 35 states, 27 of which have republican-controlled legislature.

The ACLU tracks this legislation by focusing on bills “specifically attacking or targeting LGBTQ people,” including restrictions to school curricula dealing with LGBTQ issues and religious bills.

While community members continue to worry about the potential threats against marriage equality, following the potential precedent set by overturning Roe v. Wade, trans and nonbinary people are already facing attacks on their rights in large numbers. Most of the bills introduced this year specifically target trans and nonbinary people, particularly with an emphasis on trans youth.

To track anti-trans bills, ACLU looks for legislation “barring or criminalizing health care for trans youth, barring access to the use of appropriate facilities like restrooms, restricting trans students’ ability to fully participate in school and sports, allowing religiously-motivated discrimination against trans people, or making it more difficult for them to get identification documents with their name and gender.”

Many bills didn’t make it far in the legislative process, though 2022 is also a record-breaking year for measures that actually went into effect. The ACLU notes that 21 anti-LGBTQ bills have been enacted in the 2022 legislative session.

While this information is surely disheartening, it’s all the more reason to stand up, stay loud, and continue fighting as a community. Social movements with momentum and strength often see pushback as they continue to grow. The LGBTQ community is resilient. We will not be erased, and we will not back down.