West Virginia Republicans want to ban transgender people from public spaces, call them 'obscene'

Source: The Advocate

West Virginia Republicans want to ban transgender people from public spaces, call them ‘obscene’

One bill would define trans people as “obscene matter” and make them keep their distance from schools, while another would force mental health professionals to “cure” transgender people.

BY CHRISTOPHER WIGGINS
JANUARY 13 2024 2:11 PM EST

Republicans in West Virginia have upped the hostility among those on the right toward transgender people. There, the LGBTQ+ community is currently grappling with significant legislative challenges that have the potential to impact the rights and lives of transgender individuals drastically.

Multiple draconian bills were introduced in the state’s legislature this week, with advocates drawing attention to their severe implications. One forces mental health professionals to “cure” transgender people from their gender identity, and another categorizes transgender people as “obscene material,” essentially making transgender individuals’ existence in many public spaces illegal, independent journalist Erin Reed, who specializes in transgender-related legal coverage, reports. Yet another criminalizes their presence near schools.

“Trans people know they are — there is nothing to ‘cure.’ The truth is, trans people of all ages are living happy, complete, and joyful lives — this contradicts the false narrative created around our community by extremist politicians," West Virginia activist Ash Orr told Reed. "This piece of legislation attacks our most basic values of privacy and control over our own bodies, and is based on misleading or even outright false ideas.”

Orr added: “This is a blatant attempt to criminalize and erase the trans community of West Virginia.”

Senate Bill 194 is particularly alarming. This proposed legislation seeks to impose a total ban on gender-affirming care for transgender individuals up to the age of 21. It also mandates that therapists and social workers in the state attempt to “cure” transgender identity. This bill extends the reach of a previous ban on gender-affirming care for those under 18, passed in 2023, and categorizes being transgender as a “sexual deviation.” Additionally, it broadens the definition of minors to include individuals up to age 21.

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Read more: https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender-obscene-cured-west-virginia