State legislators across the country continue to introduce anti-LGBTQ bills and there have been a record number of them for four years in a row.

In Legislative Bill 574 restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors nearly ground the Unicameral to a stop for weeks last year.

With another anti-LGBTQ bill pending this session, Legislative Bill 575, the "Schools and Spaces Act," participants in OutNebraska's recent LGBTQ+ Legislative Day were unsure what to expect.

MacKenzie Loncke, legislative intern for OutNebraska, said most participants felt very positive about their interactions with their state senators.

"We're really hopeful that these personal testimonies that everyone shared are able to humanize our cause," Loncke explained. "And that they recognize that we deserve -- and are entitled to -- protections."

About 10% to 15% of Americans identify as LGBTQ+, with higher percentages among millennials. LGBTQ+ individuals face more discrimination in housing, employment, health care and other areas of their lives, and transgender individuals are four times more likely to be victims of violence than their cisgender peers.

Floor debate on the measure regulating transgender youths' participation in school sports -- which would override the existing gender participation policy of the Nebraska School Activities Association -- has not yet been scheduled.

Loncke pointed out many who participated in LGBTQ+ Legislative Day were parents and other relatives of LGBTQ+ Nebraskans, who expressed concern about their loved ones' safety.

"A lot of participants were sharing that banning kids from sports in school facilities does nothing to keep other students safe," Loncke observed. "And instead just puts trans kids in danger and makes them feel alone -- and wanting to support all kids and not singling them out because they're different."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said schools have an important role to play in supporting transgender youths, and recommends they "review and implement policies and practices to ensure inclusivity."

Loncke added 54 people participated in this year's LGBTQ+ Legislative Day -- double last year's number -- and senators participated from all over the state and represented a variety of views.

"I think that people were expecting more senators to be anti-LGBTQ+," Loncke acknowledged. "I think that was like a big takeaway; that they were actually seeing us and hearing us, and not coming in defensive or anything like that."

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday released an opinion that allows Tennessee to keep in place a ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

While seen as a setback for trans youth, a legal challenge in North Dakota is still active. The North Dakota case, which seeks to overturn a 2023 ban adopted by the Legislature, is moving through the state-level courts.

Brittany Stewart, senior staff attorney with the legal nonprofit Gender Justice, said proceedings in the bench trial are winding down. She said parents of transgender youth in this region might think the Supreme Court outcome permanently cuts off similar cases, but stresses they shouldn't jump to conclusions.

"I would like to tell people, especially folks who are parents of kids who might be suffering from gender dysphoria, not to give up hope," she stressed. "This is just one case, on one specific issue."

The Tennessee case focused solely on the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause, and Stewart said the North Dakota case has other legal aspects to it. Republicans behind such bans argue they're trying to protect children, noting young people aren't mature enough for these decisions. But ban opponents say parents and doctors are deeply involved in discussing the lengthy process, and that gender-affirming surgery is rare for minors.

Stewart said the second main argument in her plaintiff's case is whether North Dakota's ban violates the right to personal autonomy. She added it's important to remember that the questions posed in this lawsuit have to do with the state constitution.

"The North Dakota Supreme Court has also said that the North Dakota Constitution isn't necessarily interpreted exactly the same as the U.S. Constitution," she continued.

She said if the judge rules in their favor, it's likely the state would appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court. But there are questions about whether it would reach the U.S. Supreme Court because of the legal differences.

Analysts say the federal decision is still a big win for ban supporters in the nearly two dozen states that have them. But Stewart said the high court left an opening for future consideration if opponents can effectively prove such laws cause harm.


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Today is LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day and California advocates are speaking out against federal attacks on workplace protections.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order recognizing "male" and "female" as the only two sexes and withdrawing Biden-era guidance on harassment in the workplace.

Deborah Vagins, national campaign director for Equal Rights Advocates and director of the Equal Pay Today campaign, said Department of Government Efficiency cuts have devastated agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the National Labor Relations Board.

"President Trump took the unprecedented action to fire officials at these independent agencies," Vagins pointed out. "He's laid off hundreds of staff; he's effectively undermined enforcement protections, especially, for LGBTQIA employees."

The administration has said the cuts are necessary to fund an extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts. A 2021 study from the Human Rights Campaign found LGBTQ+ workers make about 90 cents for every dollar earned by other workers, with LGBTQ+ women earning only 87 cents.

Vagins argued the new administration is sending the wrong signals so far.

"The recently renominated acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas has made it clear that she does not plan to fully enforce employment protections for transgender and nonbinary workers," Vagins noted. "They had cases pending at the EEOC that have since been dropped."

Zakiya Thomas, president of the ERA Coalition, emphasized the Equal Rights Amendment has now been ratified by 38 state legislatures, so it should be added to the Constitution but the Trump administration has blocked it.

"The Supreme Court has actually upheld that discrimination against LGBTQ individuals is sex-based discrimination," Thomas stressed. "The Equal Rights Amendment is for everyone and so we want to make sure that we can use it to protect everyone against any kind of discrimination on the basis of sex."

June is Pride Month, and Washington's Lavender Rights Project is celebrating with a Black Trans Comedy Showcase. This is the largest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit, which provides legal and social services for Black trans people.

Angel Patterson, director of development for Lavender Rights, said in the wake of increased attacks on trans rights across the country, the showcase prioritizes the community's health, safety, and joy.

"We are your family too," Patterson explained. "We are your mothers, your brothers, your sisters, your aunties, uncles, cousins, friends, bosses, coworkers. We're all paying parking tickets and taxes the same as everyone else."

Patterson said the showcase will be on June 14th in Seattle and will feature performers from Washington and across the country, including T.S. Madison and Mx Dahlia Belle.

So far, 923 bills targeting trans rights have been introduced across the country this year, and over 100 have passed. Patterson explains that the idea for the showcase came after hearing trans people used as punchlines for jokes in the media.

"Instead of a traditional protest we wanted to reclaim our power in another way that felt sacred to us and this event is truly that and it's a wonderful night to bring our folks together and highlight our work and really just feel the power of pride," Patterson continued.

The comedy showcase will also have auction items to help raise money for the project such as plane tickets, glass blowing classes, concert and sports tickets.