The world is changing, our youth are being forced into boxes and told to conform or die. From young, many children are told they can be whatever they want. However, once they “choose” to be queer or even an ally for any of the LGBT members, they are a problem that needs to be neutralized. State officials believing trans and queer youths are a problem. This is not a new problem for the United States. In 1940s-1960s LGBTQ members were often arrested for not following a clothing rule that was less than legal. (A&E) The rule was that people of their “birth” gender must wear at least three or more pieces of clothing that matched, otherwise they will be arrested. That was just a start, because since forever people have been blaming queer people for their life’s problems. Since that time of hate, we were getting better as a society like (Britannica) accepting same sex marriage, loosening the boundaries on the LGBT members and their allies. However, in the last ten years things started in a decline, (The Guardian) with how florida is prohibiting adults in schools to say the word gay and just a couple days ago expanding that into k-12 instead of just the younger children they would like to “protect”. As well as (Brown, Melissa)Tennessee banning doctors who perform Gender affirmation surgery on minors or else, they will receive 20+ years of jail time. (Manuela López) This February Tennessee Passed a bill that drag queens will be punished by a $2,500 fine or at least a year in jail if they perform in public. These bills and legislations being passed are currently affecting the entirety of our LGBTQ+ members, especially because they are forced to go out of their way for gender reassignment surgery and are given the ultimatum of conforming to the idea that they are in the wrong for wanting to change who they are on the outside to better match who they are inside. However, (Zoledziowski) this causes a higher risk in teen suicides and the possibility that these children, our future generation will be forced to live an unhealthy lifestyle seeing as a majority of our nation wants our queer youth to detransition and “embrace the body they were born with”. That is not all, yes, its a horrible reality that these young children might take their life. It is a sad idea that they are a constant target by many people who wish them harm. (gott) Just like Brianna Ghey, who was 16 years old and trans was forced into having an early end to her life as two 15-year-old students stabbed her mid-day just because she was trans. Her death is purposely not being investigated properly because of the stigma around queer and trans youth and people. Her case is not the first and will not be the last, seeing as many states use the (Carsten Andresen) “gay panic defense” where in the United States, if someone claims they are attempting to protect themselves from same sex pass or attempted sexual assault, they are trying to avoid the consequences of murder. The deep-rooted homophobia is well into our country. ( Cisneros ) Our hatred of gay men during the AIDS pandemic and our ability to shun people for their lifestyle choices. We blamed men for the beginning and everything that came after it. Our back and forth of isolating and hating them to loving and accepting them, is becoming a problem especially since our queer youth is not just being isolated and hated but completed changed and forced into a box that is suffocating and changing the entire country as we know it. As of this current moment we have 359 active bills in 49 states against trans people and their rights. 46 bills have been passed not included in that total and (“2023 Anti-Trans Bills: Trans Legislation Tracker.”) these range from blocking trans people from receiving proper basic health care, education, legal representation, and the right to exist. Overall, the treatment of our queer youth and trans people is an abomination and should be stopped. The longer they spend ruining our children the harder we fight in response.
Citations’
1 (“When Dressing in Drag Was Labeled a Crime.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, https://www.history.com/news/stonewall-riots-lgbtq-drag-three-article-rule.)
2 “Same-Sex Marriage.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 21 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/same-sex-marriage.
3 “Florida Board Approves Expansion of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Ban to All School Grades.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 19 Apr. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/19/florida-education-board-approves-expansion-dont-say-gay-bill.
4 Brown, Melissa. “Youth Gender-Transition Ban Passes Tennessee Senate as Legal Fight Looms.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 14 Feb. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/13/trans-youth-medical-ban-passes-tennessee-senate/11251617002/.
5 Restrepo, Manuela López. “The Anti-Drag Bill Passed in Tennessee Is Straight from History’s … – NPR.” Npr, 6 Mar. 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/03/06/1161452175/anti-drag-show-bill-tennessee-trans-rights-minor-care-anti-lgbtq-laws.
6 Zoledziowski, Anya. “South Dakota Is Going to Force Trans Kids to Detransition.” VICE, 14 Feb. 2023, https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvm9a8/south-dakota-to-force-trans-kids-to-detransition-ban-gender-affirming-care.
7 TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@joshhelfgott/video/7200651148406230318?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc. Accessed 20 Apr. 2023.
8 W. Carsten Andresen Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice. “I Track Murder Cases That Use the ‘Gay Panic Defense,’ a Controversial Practice Banned in 9 States.” The Conversation, 8 Feb. 2023, https://theconversation.com/i-track-murder-cases-that-use-the-gay-panic-defense-a-controversial-practice-banned-in-9-states-129973.
9 Cisneros, Lisa. “40 Years of AIDS: A Timeline of the Epidemic.” 40 Years of AIDS: A Timeline of the Epidemic | UC San Francisco, 30 Mar. 2023, https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2021/06/420686/40-years-aids-timeline-epidemic.
10 “2023 Anti-Trans Bills: Trans Legislation Tracker.” 2023 Anti-Trans Bills: Trans Legislation Tracker, https://translegislation.com/.
