Members of Nebraska's LGBTQ+ community and their supporters saw positive actions at both the state and federal level this month.

At the state level, LB-575 failed to pass.

The bill would have required Nebraska transgender youth to participate in the sports and use the facilities that correspond with their biological gender, as determined by their chromosomes.

At the federal level, the Department of Education "expanded and clarified" Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ youth.

Johnny Redd, communications manager with OutNebraska, said the Title IX clarification in addition to the failure of LB-575 makes it feel like there's hope for the LGBTQ+ struggle in Nebraska.

"We definitely changed some hearts and minds," said Redd. "There's been these patterns of very hostile legislation towards LGBTQ youth, specifically trans youth. And it's getting more common, so having these Title IX protections that federally protect trans students is really important."

The U.S. Department of Education's "Final Rule Amending the Title IX Regulations" makes it clear that schools are responsible to protect students against all types of sex-based discrimination - including based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

It also requires schools to "respond promptly" to any complaint of sex discrimination, and inform parents and students of their "nondiscrimination policies."

A Washington Post study points to a trickle-down effect of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, which has increased dramatically since 2015.

It found police-reported LGBTQ+ hate crimes against K-12 students more than doubled nationwide in 2021 and 2022, compared with 2015-2019.

But in states that had enacted restrictive anti-LGBTQ+ laws, this type of hate crime had quadrupled.

State Sen. Kathleen Kauth - R-Omaha - introduced LB 575, and the bill behind Nebraska's new law restricting gender-affirming health care for transgender youths.

She said she plans to re-introduce LB-575 next year if she's re-elected.

Redd said these Title IX protections increase the likelihood it would fail a legal challenge, if it became law.

"LB 575 definitely did open up the state to lawsuits," said Redd, "but I feel like the case would be even stronger with these new strengthened Title IX protections."

The ACLU is currently involved with legal challenges to 175 anti-LGBTQ laws.

New Mexico's 2025 Legislature will make history next week, convening with the largest percentage of women in the U.S., based on its total number of members.

Female legislators in New Mexico will hold a 54% majority, thanks to voters electing 11 additional women in November, both Democrats and Republicans.

Rep. Joy Garratt, D-Albuquerque, believes issues tackled by lawmakers are more comprehensive when deliberations include women.

"They have the kinds of concerns for family issues, children's issues, educational issues that, of course, many men share as well," Garratt pointed out. "But women -- who still, to this day, receive lower salaries in so many professions -- really need to be seated at the table."

Women hold 44 seats in the New Mexico House compared to 24 held by men, while men still hold a majority in the state Senate, with 26 of 42 seats. The legislature now has 33 Democratic and 11 Republican women. Nevada became the first state to elect a female legislative majority in 2018, but its legislature has 37 fewer seats than New Mexico.

Garratt noted women in New Mexico's legislature range in age from 26 to 78, representing a wide range of lived experiences. In addition, she said 25 of the 33 Democratic reps are women of color.

"That's another under-represented group in our elected bodies that New Mexico has really pioneered," Garratt emphasized. "It's not only that we have these large numbers of women running and winning but we have women of all ethnicities and backgrounds."

According to Garratt, the significant shift in representation is a bit ironic, considering just eight years ago, women were forced to make a long trek just to find a restroom at the Roundhouse. One was finally installed in 2018 near the House chamber.


get more stories like this via email

South Dakota voters will soon decide on Amendment E, which would adjust language in the state Constitution for certain officeholders.

Amendment E would change the text of South Dakota's Constitution to remove generic male pronouns and replace them with the office names they refer to. A recent poll showed the initiative is unpopular among voters, despite wide support from state lawmakers.

Sen. Erin Tobin, R-Winner, sponsored the bill to put the question on the ballot. She said it is appropriate when South Dakota has its first woman governor and its highest number of women legislators to date.

"When the governor spoke at her State of the Union, she's using the word 'he' for her own position," Tobin pointed out. "It just makes more sense for her to be able to use 'the governor.'"

In a recent poll by South Dakota News Watch, only 30% of respondents said they would vote to pass the measure. The resolution passed unanimously in the South Dakota Senate and handily in the House. Gov. Kristi Noem signed a similar measure in 2023, which changed the language in codified laws, while surrounded by women and girls at the Capitol.

Opponents said it will cost taxpayers money but Tobin countered the Constitution undergoes "style and form changes," and reprints happen after a certain number of changes anyway.

"To say that it's going to cost any money, I think, is very misleading," Tobin argued. "If it does cost anything, it's going to be negligible."

Tobin added the amendment is primarily about celebrating women.


get more stories like this via email

Experts say a diverse workforce is crucial for creativity and social justice, and equally good for a company's bottom line. But reluctance to hire transgender workers remains high.

A study by UCLA showed the majority of nonbinary adults in the workforce are younger than age 35 and make less than $50,000 a year.

Toni Newman, board chair for the group Trans Can Work, cited research that shows diversity in the workplace helps everyone thrive.

"Different ethnic backgrounds, different gender, different race - diverse teams often outperform homogenous ones," Newman said, "as they can leverage a broader range of experience and skills."

Seventeen out of 50 states still maintain laws and policies that discriminate against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in the workplace. Those laws exist despite the Supreme Court's extension of federal protections to LGBTQ+ employees and Congress' passage of the 2021 Equality Act.

In recent years, New Mexico has advanced LGBTQ+ rights, including a law that removed loopholes allowing discrimination at the local government level.

Transgender individuals can face a variety of workplace challenges that impact their career trajectory. Newman said they often miss out on jobs that pay more or come with more responsibility - and are instead offered introductory positions.

"At the entry level - as a coordinator, an assistant, associate - but at the director level or above," Newman said, "the percentages get really, really, really, really small."

Sixty percent of transgender and nonbinary employees have reported discrimination or harassment in the workplace. When it comes to voting, nearly one-million trans adults are eligible to vote in next month's election, but at least 200,000 in more conservative states could face obstacles if their identification documents do not match their gender.