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These LGBTQ lawmakers want to make their states a refuge for trans kids

On Tuesday, lawmakers introduced a plan to create what some are calling a “rainbow wall”

By Anne Branigin
Today at 9:00 a.m. EDT

For the past few months, Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone (D) has kept a close eye on the bills neighboring states have been proposing — bills that aim to curb the rights of transgender children from participating in youth sports, accessing bathrooms and getting gender-affirming health care. ... There’s Arizona, Oklahoma and Utah, which all passed laws barring trans kids — with a focus on girls, in particular — from playing on teams that align with their gender identity. In Kansas, a similar bill passed the state Senate, but was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. And in Idaho, lawmakers sought to criminalize the act of seeking gender-affirming care out of state.

[An Idaho bill would criminalize medical treatments for trans youths. It echoes abortion bans.]

Then there’s Texas, where earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directed child welfare services to investigate gender-affirming care for children as “child abuse.”

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On Tuesday, Titone joined a group of LGBTQ legislators across the country who announced plans to offer refuge to transgender youth and their families amid an unprecedented wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation, much of it directed toward trans kids. ... Legislators say the effort was inspired by “sanctuary” laws that have similarly shielded undocumented immigrants, and, more recently, those seeking abortions from states where that care has been restricted and/or criminalized.

“The trigger was the state of Texas pledging to strip trans kids from their parents,” said Annise Parker, who leads the Victory Institute, an LGBTQ advocacy group. The organization helped convene state legislators so they could network and discuss strategy, Parker said.

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By Anne Branigin
Anne Branigin is a staff reporter in Features focused on gender coverage. Previously, she worked at the Root covering news, politics, health and social justice movements through the lens of race and gender. Twitter https://twitter.com/AnneBranigin