Current Legislative Measures
Harmful Bills That Have Passed
HB2161
What is it?
This bill gives parents the ability to sue educators who teach content that they may disagree with on religious or moral grounds. It also affirms a parents rights to access a child's private school counseling records and medical records. It allows parents information and access into any records involving the parent and investigations by child protective services.
It also makes any sex education curriculum opt-in and requires permission from the parent for the child to attend. It allows the parent to opt the child out of immunizations.
It requires the school to notify parents before conducting any survey of the students.
Why is it harmful?
Teachers already face immense backlash from parents and administrators. Especially here in Arizona where the teacher pay is minimal and the class sizes are out of control. Part of schooling is being exposed to opposing view points and learning to think critically and form your own opinions. This bill gives parents the rights to sue educators for speaking about LGBTQ+ people, the civil rights movement, the women's suffrage movement, evolution, or anything they may oppose on "religious or moral grounds."
Young people need sex education. And while this job usually falls to a parent or guardian, sometimes the education they give is lacking, or "abstinence only". Years and years of pregnant teenagers show that abstinence only education doesn't work (Columbia.edu, 2017). Sex is a natural part of life, and will happen with or without education. At least if young people are educated, they can learn to protect themselves from STDs and unwanted pregnancies (Gabe L, 2018).
Requiring parental permission or acknowledgement of anonymous surveys of students could potentially skew the results. For children who's parents are transphobic, they may be pressured to answer a certain way.
For a lot of children, school is the only safe place they have. It may be the only place they feel they can be their authentic self. Allowing parents access to all private counseling records, and to any open investigations, you may place the child in danger of retaliation and may make abuse in the home even worse.
When was it passed?
April 29th, 2022
Who sponsored it?
SB1138
What is it?
This bill makes it illegal for doctors or therapists to prescribe or make recommendations for any gender affirming care, up to and including hormone replacement therapy, puberty blockers, and surgery to any person under the ages of 18.
Why is it harmful?
Puberty blockers are helpful for both children who may want to transition, and for children who start puberty abnormally early. In trans paitents, they allow children more time to figure out their identity. If the child chooses not to transition, they simply stop the puberty blockers and puberty will commence. If they choose to transition as an adult, they can begin hormone therapy. While research on puberty blockers is limited, studies have shown that they are a safe effective result for children who delay transitioning until adulthood (Wikipedia).
Click here for misconceptions regarding gender reassignment surgery for minors.
When was it passed?
March 30th, 2022
Who sponsored it?
SB1165
What is it?
This bill prevents young trans women from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity, and states that girl's and women's interscholastic sports may only be played by people assigned female at birth.
Why is it harmful?
Arizona already has protocols in place for allowing trans athletes on teams of their gender. There are approximately 15 trans athletes around the state that currently compete without issue. Adding an additional law to eliminate them from their teams would be extremely harmful to the students and their peers. (Roberts, 2020)
When was it passed?
March 30th, 2022
Who sponsored it?
Nancy Barto (R)*, Shawnna Bolick (R), Sonny Borrelli (R), Judy Burges (R), Frank Carroll (R), Joseph Chaplik (R), Lupe Diaz (R), John Fillmore (R), David Gowan (R), Rick Gray (R), Gail Griffin (R), Steve Kaiser (R), John Kavanagh (R), Sine Kerr (R), Vince Leach (R), David Livingston (R), Javan Mesnard (R), Quang Nguyen (R), Jacqueline Parker (R), Warren Petersen (R), T.J. Shope (R), Ben Toma (R), Kelly Townsend (R), Michelle Udall (R),
SB1399
What is it?
This "religious freedom" bill allows religious foster care and adoption agencies to discriminate against prospective parents and families regarding religion.
Why is it harmful?
Allowing discrimination based upon religious beliefs allows adoption and foster agencies to exclude children from loving families. It can prevent LGBTQ+ couples from adopting or fostering children in the state.
When was it passed?
April 6th, 2022
Who sponsored it?
Sine Kerr (R)*, Nancy Barto (R)
Currently Pending
HB2285
What is it?
This bill allows parents to withdraw their student from any classes with learning material they object to. Learning material can be objected to on basis of beliefs, practices in sex, morality, or religion. This bill also affirms that any safe sex education will be opt in and disallows schools from offering sex ed before grade six.
It also allows parents to opt students out of assignments, immunizations, and minimum course requirements.
Why is it harmful?
Teachers already face immense backlash from parents and administrators. Especially here in Arizona where the teacher pay is minimal and the class sizes are out of control. Part of schooling is being exposed to opposing view points and learning to think critically and form your own opinions. This bill gives parents the rights to sue educators for speaking about LGBTQ+ people, the civil rights movement, the women's suffrage movement, evolution, or anything they may oppose on "religious or moral grounds."
Young people need sex education. And while this job usually falls to a parent or guardian, sometimes the education they give is lacking, or "abstinence only". Years and years of pregnant teenagers show that abstinence only education doesn't work (Columbia.edu, 2017). Sex is a natural part of life, and will happen with or without education. At least if young people are educated, they can learn to protect themselves from STDs and unwanted pregnancies (Gabe L, 2018).
Who sponsored it?
HB2292
What is it?
This bill changes laws regarding birth certificates, requiring them to be marked either male or female.
Why is it harmful?
A person's gender marker on their identification card may or may not match up with their appearance. If someone moves from Washington to Arizona, they may end up with different gender markers on different forms of ID due to restrictive laws in Arizona. Adding additional barriers to people who want or need to change their gender marker to match their identity can have negative physical and psychological impacts (Russo, 2021)
Who sponsored it?
John Fillmore (R)*, Frank Carroll (R), Neal Carter (R), Joseph Chaplik (R), Jacqueline Parker (R),
HB2293
What is it?
Creates a law that a public school may not require an administrator or educator to refer to a student as their preferred pronouns other than the pronoun aligned with their sex assigned at birth.
Why is it harmful?
Psychologists, doctors, and mental health professionals alike all agree that recognizing a child as their preferred gender is helpful to children instead of harmful. While not all children may transition, those that feel strongly about their identity may develop anxiety or depression by not being able to express themselves accordingly. The rates at which trans children take their own lives, directly correlates to their level of acceptance amongst friends and family (Ennis, 2020).
Who sponsored it?
John Fillmore (R)*, Neal Carter (R), Joseph Chaplik (R), Jacqueline Parker (R),
HB2294 (FAILED)
What is it?
Creates a law stating that documents issued by the state may only ever indicate sex as male or female.
Why is it harmful?
When was it passed?
Who sponsored it?
John Fillmore (R)*, Neal Carter (R), Joseph Chaplik (R), Jacqueline Parker (R),
HB2314
What is it?
Creates a reasonable accommodation for people who are uncomfortable using the same restroom as a trans person. (Lopez, 2016)
Why is it harmful?
This allows people to discriminate others based on who they think may be trans. Places where there are laws like this have seen an increase of harassment against cis women who people think "look trans". This includes people with short hair, people who dress androgynous, people who have had mastectomies, and others.
Who sponsored it?
John Kavanagh (R)*, Shawnna Bolick (R), Judy Burges (R), Lupe Diaz (R), David Livingston (R), Quang Nguyen (R), T.J. Shope (R), Michelle Udall (R),
HB2608
What is it?
This bill prohibits health professionals including physicians from recommending any gender affirming care for transitioning minors, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgeries.
Why is it harmful?
Puberty blockers are helpful for both children who may want to transition, and for children who start puberty abnormally early. In trans paitents, they allow children more time to figure out their identity. If the child chooses not to transition, they simply stop the puberty blockers and puberty will commence. If they choose to transition as an adult, they can begin hormone therapy. While research on puberty blockers is limited, studies have shown that they are a safe effective result for children who delay transitioning until adulthood (Wikipedia).
Click here for misconceptions regarding gender reassignment surgery for minors.
Who sponsored it?
Judy Burges (R)*, Walter Blackman (R), Frank Carroll (R), Neal Carter (R), David Cook (R), Lupe Diaz (R), John Fillmore (R), Mark Finchem (R), David Livingston (R),
SB1045
What is it?
This bill makes it illegal for school employees and educators to withhold gender identity information from parents.
It also prevents any physician from offering any gender affirming care to minors including hormone therapy or puberty blockers.
Why is it harmful?
Puberty blockers are helpful for both children who may want to transition, and for children who start puberty abnormally early. In trans paitents, they allow children more time to figure out their identity. If the child chooses not to transition, they simply stop the puberty blockers and puberty will commence. If they choose to transition as an adult, they can begin hormone therapy. While research on puberty blockers is limited, studies have shown that they are a safe effective result for children who delay transitioning until adulthood (Wikipedia).
Click here for misconceptions regarding gender reassignment surgery for minors.
Who sponsored it?
SB1046 (FAILED)
What is it?
This bill adds a requirement to school sports that if a child's birth sex is questioned, they must provide a doctor's note verifying their genitals, hormone levels, and genetic makeup.
It allows students to sue schools if they feel they have an unfair disadvantage against a trans student playing the sport and it forbids trans women from playing on women's sports teams.
Why is it harmful?
Who sponsored it?
SB1130
What is it?
Classifies gender affirming care provided by physicians, including puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy as child abuse.
Why is it harmful?
Puberty blockers are helpful for both children who may want to transition, and for children who start puberty abnormally early. In trans paitents, they allow children more time to figure out their identity. If the child chooses not to transition, they simply stop the puberty blockers and puberty will commence. If they choose to transition as an adult, they can begin hormone therapy. While research on puberty blockers is limited, studies have shown that they are a safe effective result for children who delay transitioning until adulthood (Wikipedia).
Click here for misconceptions regarding gender reassignment surgery for minors.
Who sponsored it?
Misconceptions and Dangers
Misconception:
Children, teenagers, and young adults are being forced into committing to gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy.
Truth:
Transgender children are not provided surgery until they are at least 18. Often, it requires multiple letters from therapists, doctors, and approval from insurance companies. Children under 18 cannot get gender reassignment surgery, per medical guidelines. There are a few exceptions for people looking to have a mastectomy or breast reduction, but these are only performed with everyone's consent (including the parent or guardian), once the child is at least 16, and when the mental health of the child is in severe danger if surgery is not provided.
Transgender children cannot receive hormone therapy or puberty blockers until they have started puberty. Puberty blockers allow a child more time to decide if they would like to transition or not. By blocking puberty, trans kids who would be uncomfortable and unhappy by seeing their body take on changes they don't want, are instead allowed time to decide and explore their identity. If the child is sure that they would like to transition, with letters from a therapist, and permission from a parent or doctor, they can start hormone therapy.
Why Passing Laws Restricting This Is Harmful:
Misconception:
Children are being turned gay or trans from exposure to other LGBTQ+ people.
Truth:
As society progresses, more and more children feel accepted and safe to come out as themselves. Having access to terminology regarding gender and sexuality allows you to examine where you may fall on the spectrum. And having LGBTQ+ exposure and education can help kids who are struggling with their identity feel more accepted and normal.
Why Passing Laws Restricting This Is Harmful:
Misconception:
Schools are forcing children to share a bathroom with people of the opposite sex.
Truth:
Why Passing Laws Restricting This Is Harmful:
Misconception:
Predators will use women's bathrooms to prey upon women and children.
Truth:
There has never been any laws restricting men from entering a women's bathroom. And trans people have been using the bathroom of their preferred gender for years and years.