Equality Maps
LGBTQ Equality Maps Updates: August 2024
In this rapidly changing landscape, MAP’s LGBTQ Equality Maps provide a detailed snapshot of the current state of LGBTQ laws and policies in the United States. See below for a listing of state and local level policy changes, plus MAP updates, as of August 5, 2024.
- Gender markers on driver’s licenses
- Name change publication requirements
- “Don’t Say LGBTQ” curriculum censorship laws
- “Shield” or “refuge” laws protecting transgender health care
- Regulating gender to allow discrimination against transgender and nonbinary people
- Bans on transgender people’s use of bathrooms and facilities
- Gender marker changes on birth certificates
- Bans on medical care for transgender youth
- Bans on transgender kids playing school sports
- Parental opt-out of LGBTQ-related curriculum
- Banning the use of “gay panic”/ “trans panic” defenses
▸▸ State Policy Updates
Gender markers on driver’s licenses
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here.
- June: In March 2024, Arkansas issued a proposed “emergency” rule that banned the use of gender-neutral “X” options on driver’s licenses, and further added extremely burdensome requirements to be able to change the gender marker at all. In early June, a state court blocked that rule, but in late June, the Arkansas Supreme Court reinstated it, meaning the burdensome requirements are still in effect.
- August 2: The Missouri Department of Revenue changed its rules without public comment or notice, adding similarly burdensome requirements of either medical documentation from a surgeon showing “proof of full transition” or a court order, which often also requires medical documentation. This overnight change replaces Missouri’s former policy that had been in place since at least 2016, requiring only a form with a provider’s signature attesting to the individual’s gender identity.
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Name change publication requirements
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here.
- June 17: Rhode Island enacted a new law improving the name change process by explicitly removing the former requirement that people must publish a public notice of their name change, such as in a local newspaper. This also moves Rhode Island to “High” on MAP’s Gender Identity Policy Tally.
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“Don’t Say LGBTQ” curriculum censorship laws
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here.
- June 19: Louisiana became the 8th state with a “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law, all of which have been enacted since Florida’s 2021 law that rose to national prominence. Now, one in six (17%) LGBTQ youth live in states with such a law. Louisiana’s law also builds on its 1987 law, which is still on the books, that bans discussion of homosexuality in health classes.
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“Shield” or “refuge” laws protecting transgender health care
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here.
- June 25: Rhode Island became the 16th state plus D.C. with a law or executive order protecting access to transgender-related health care.
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Regulating gender to allow discrimination against transgender and nonbinary people
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here. Government gender regulation laws have already been used in other states to stop gender marker changes on identity documents and to promote other attacks on transgender people’s lives.
- June 28: In Montana, a judge ruled that the state’s bill regulating gender by defining “sex” throughout state law was unconstitutional. The state may appeal the decision, but in the meantime, the law may no longer be enforced.
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Bans on transgender people’s use of bathrooms and facilities
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here.
- July 3: South Carolina’s new state budget included an amendment that bans transgender people from using bathrooms and facilities according to their gender identity in K-12 settings. South Carolina is the 13th state with a bathroom ban in K-12 settings, including six states whose bans extend beyond K-12 schools as well.
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Gender marker changes on birth certificates
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here.
- July 15: As covered by The 19th News, Florida is reportedly no longer processing gender marker changes on birth certificates, despite at least a decade of doing so. In the absence of an official statement or policy clarification from the state, MAP currently lists Florida as one of four states with an unclear, unknown or unwritten policy regarding gender marker changes. Our map will be updated as this policy develops.
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Bans on medical care for transgender youth
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here, including a chronology and details on effective dates, exceptions, lawsuits, and more.
There are now 26 states with a ban or restriction on medically necessary, prescribed health care for transgender youth. Now 2 in 5 (40%) transgender youth live in states with these bans. However, lawsuits have been filed against the bans in 17 of these states.
- June 11: In Florida, the state’s ban on transgender health care was blocked by court ruling, including multiple provisions affecting adult access to care. An appeal is expected, but for now the ruling restores youth’s access to prescribed medication.
- July 19: New Hampshire became the 26th state to ban at least some forms of best practice medical care for transgender youth, though the ban does not go into effect until January 1, 2025. The law bans surgical care, but not medication or other forms of care. New Hampshire is also the first state in New England to enact such a law.
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Bans on transgender kids playing school sports
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here, including a chronology of laws and vetoes, a breakdown of grade applicability, and further analyses.
There are now 26 states that ban transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity. Nearly 2 in 5 (38%) transgender youth live in states with these bans.
- July 19: New Hampshire became the 26th state to ban transgender youth from playing sports according to their gender identity. The law applies to grades 5–12 and specifically targets transgender girls’ participation. New Hampshire is also the first state in New England to enact such a law.
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Parental opt-out of LGBTQ-related curriculum
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here.
- July 19: New Hampshire became the 7th state to require schools to notify parents in advance of LGBTQ-related content and to allow them to remove their children from those classes, and the 16th state overall with any kind of anti-LGBTQ curricular law currently on the books. New Hampshire is also the first state in New England to enact any kind of LGBTQ-focused curriculum censorship law.
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Banning the use of “gay panic”/ “trans panic” defenses in courtrooms
See our Equality Map here and our supporting citations and additional information here.
- July 23: Michigan became the 20th state plus D.C. to ban the use of LGBTQ panic defenses in courtrooms, and the second state to do so this year after Minnesota.
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▸▸ Local Level Policy Updates
- May 24: The village of Chauncey, Ohio — population 959 — passed an LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance covering all three areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations. It is the first municipality in the state to enact such an ordinance this year.
- June 4: Gwinnett County, Georgia, enacted an LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance covering employment and public accommodations, though not housing. The ordinance applies only to unincorporated parts of the county, which covers nearly three-quarters of a million Georgia residents.
- June 19: Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, enacted an LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance that also bans conversion “therapy”.
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▸▸ MAP Policy Research Updates
MAP’s policy experts recently released two new reports tracking divergence in the landscape of voting laws and attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives across multiple sectors.
Diverging Democracy: The Battle Over Key State Election Laws Since 2020 finds that while some states have emphasized voter access and expanding opportunities for voters to become registered, other states have prioritized restrictive measures that undermine the democratic functioning of elections.
Dismantling DEI: A Coordinated Attack on American Values breaks down the strategies opponents have used to target DEI within government, education, and the private sector, and further demonstrates the harmful impacts these calculated, widespread attacks have upon our communities.
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▸▸ MAP’s LGBTQ Equality Bill Tracker
To continue highlighting trends across the country, included below are our current bill tracking counts for anti-LGBTQ bills in state legislatures.
Note: these counts may differ from other organizations or public counts for a variety of reasons, and this work is greatly facilitated by the work of other organizations including the ACLU and the Equality Federation and their member state groups.
As of August 1, 2024, the count of anti-LGBTQ bills so far in 2024 is:
- At least 510 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across at least 40 states.
- At least 40 bills redefining “sex” to enable discrimination against transgender people have been introduced across at least 20 states.
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