Kara Sears
In 2023, there was a record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in the United States, with a specific focus on targeting transgender and non-binary people. This trend continued into 2024, with 617 anti-trans bills introduced across 43 state legislatures. By 2025, the number of anti-LGBTQ+ state bills had risen to 575, with most targeting transgender people. These bills aim to restrict transgender people's access to healthcare, education, sports, and bathrooms, as well as limit their ability to update legal identity documents.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of anti-trans bills in 2024 | 617 |
| Number of anti-trans bills that failed in 2024 | 225 |
| Number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in 2023 | Over 220 |
| Number of anti-LGBTQ+ laws enacted in 2023 | 70 |
| Number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills that passed at least one chamber in 2023 | Over 145 |
| Number of anti-LGBTQ+ state bills in 2025 | 575 |
| Number of anti-LGBTQ+ state bills that failed in 2025 | 105 |
| Number of anti-LGBTQ+ state bills that passed into law in 2025 | 54 |
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What You'll Learn
Restrictions on bathroom use
As of 2025, at least 19 states have banned transgender people from using bathrooms that match their gender identity in various government-owned buildings, including K-12 schools. These laws prohibit transgender people from using bathrooms and facilities, such as locker rooms, shower rooms, changing rooms, and other sex-segregated spaces, according to their gender identity. Some states with the most aggressive anti-LGBTQ+ laws, including anti-trans bathroom bills, are Florida, Montana, Ohio, Wyoming, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
In Florida, for example, the ban applies to both government-owned settings and at least some private settings. In Virginia, the ban is implemented through state agency policy, which school districts are legally required to adopt. While there is no federal ban on transgender people's use of bathrooms or facilities, 2 states have made it a criminal offence for transgender people to use bathrooms or facilities consistent with their gender identity. Additionally, 18 states have laws or policies defining "sex" in ways that negatively impact transgender people's access to bathrooms or facilities according to their gender identity.
These anti-trans bathroom bills are part of a broader effort to restrict the rights of transgender and non-binary individuals. For instance, several bills seek to prohibit gender-affirming care and healthcare for transgender youth. There are also bills that aim to deny students name and pronoun autonomy, forcibly out trans students to their parents, and ban basic gender identity education.
The increase in anti-trans legislation has been driven by extremist groups with a history of working to oppress the existence and rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. Despite resistance from organisations like the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union, the number of anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans bills continues to rise, with a record-breaking number introduced in state legislatures in 2023.
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Bans on sports participation
These bills have been proposed and passed at both the state and federal levels. At the federal level, a February 2025 executive order from the Trump administration sought to prohibit transgender women and girls from participating in women's and girls' sports. This order was described as a "cruel, baseless attack" and was challenged in court, with the outcome still pending.
At the state level, 27 states have passed laws banning transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity, with an additional 2 states enforcing similar bans through state regulations or agency policies. These bans have been enacted in states such as Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire, Utah, and West Virginia.
The impact of these bans on transgender youth is significant. Approximately 2% of transgender youth live in states with regulations preventing their participation in sports, while 58% live in states with no such laws or regulations. The Movement Advancement Project, an independent think tank, has described these bans as "unnecessary and harmful".
Despite these bans, there are states that actively resist them. Minnesota, for example, has laws explicitly protecting transgender people from discrimination in sports. Additionally, states like California and New Jersey have included transgender students in school sports for over a decade without any complaints.
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Censorship of curriculum
In recent years, there has been a surge in anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ laws and bills in the United States, with a particular focus on restricting educational settings. These bills aim to limit the rights of transgender and LGBTQ+ youth, with a significant number targeting their access to education. This censorship of curriculum is a growing trend, with several states enacting laws that prohibit the discussion of LGBTQ+ issues, gender identity, and sexual orientation in schools.
One of the most well-known examples is the "Don't Say Gay" bill, signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in March 2022. This law prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten to third grade and restricts such instruction in other grades to what is considered "age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate". Similar laws have been passed in other states, such as Alabama, which prohibits LGBTQ+ instruction, and Indiana, whose law restricts teachers from discussing gender fluidity, gender stereotypes, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.
The censorship of curriculum in schools goes beyond just the discussion of LGBTQ+ issues and gender identity. Some bills also aim to deny students name and pronoun autonomy, forcibly out transgender students to their parents, and restrict their access to gender-affirming care and participation in sports. For example, Arkansas passed Senate Bill 294, which prevents teachers from discussing gender identity or sexual identity in classrooms under the fifth grade. Idaho passed Senate Bill 1100, which restricts transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals from using school bathrooms that align with their gender identities.
The impact of these laws on LGBTQ+ students is significant. They not only restrict their access to information and resources but also contribute to a hostile environment that can negatively affect their mental health and well-being. As of 2024, approximately 85% of transgender youth in the South and 40% in the Midwest live in states with at least one anti-transgender law. Only 19,500 transgender youth live in states where none of these laws have been enacted or introduced.
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Restrictions on healthcare
In 2023, over 220 bills specifically targeted transgender and non-binary people, with 70 anti-LGBTQ laws enacted. Of these, 15 banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth, and 125 prevented trans youth from accessing age-appropriate, medically necessary, best-practice healthcare.
In 2025, the number of anti-LGBTQ+ state bills had risen to 575, with 54 passing into law. These included restrictions on gender-affirming care, and bans on updating identity documents.
The trend to restrict gender-affirming care is part of a proliferation of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation at the state level, with over 600 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in 2025. At least 139 of these bills have proposed restrictions in at least 39 states on gender-affirming care or transgender healthcare.
Some states have banned public funds from being used to provide transgender healthcare for anyone, meaning adults are unable to access critical health services if they receive healthcare through Medicaid, work in the public sector, or are incarcerated.
In 2021, Arkansas became the first state to ban gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors. Since then, at least 26 other states have restricted gender-affirming services for minors and/or adults.
Multiple states have also sought to limit both public and private insurance coverage of gender-affirming care, further endangering access to essential care for transgender individuals of all ages.
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Restrictions on updating identity documents
In 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) tracked 575 anti-LGBTQ+ state bills, most of which targeted transgender people. Out of these, 54 passed into law, including restrictions on updating personal identity documents such as driver's licenses and birth certificates.
In the US, each state has its own procedures for updating identification documents, including how to change one's name and gender marker. While state laws generally allow individuals to change their legal name for any non-criminal purpose, many states have outdated and burdensome requirements that create substantial barriers to achieving a legal name change. One common requirement is that a person must publicly post or publish their legal name change request, which can be costly and put the person at risk of potential harm, harassment, or discrimination.
Some states have additional rules and restrictions on name changes for people with a criminal record. Furthermore, many states have not yet modernized their policies or processes, making it challenging for transgender people to access identification that matches their gender identity and protects their safety. For example, in July 2023, a court order in Kansas prevented people from changing the gender on their driver's licenses pending a lawsuit about a state law that enables discrimination against transgender people.
On the federal level, the Trump administration issued a discriminatory Executive Order in January 2025, restricting sex and gender recognition in federal records. This has resulted in lawsuits challenging the State Department's refusal to issue accurate passports to transgender citizens, with some courts temporarily blocking the enforcement of restricted passport policies.
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Frequently asked questions
617 bills were proposed in 2024, making it a record-breaking year for anti-trans legislation.
Over 220 bills specifically targeted transgender and non-binary people by May 2023.
Lawmakers in 37 U.S. states have introduced at least 142 bills to restrict gender-affirming healthcare for trans and gender-expansive people by August 2023.
More than 145 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have passed at least one chamber by May 2023.
54 anti-trans laws have been passed in the U.S. by May 2025.
