As we start our fourth month of 2023, 368 anti-trans bills have been introduced. America has a history of being transphobic, but many hoped that with views starting to shift, the world around them would start to look a little better too.

The bills being created vary in topics they address, one of them being drag shows. Drag shows are a type of entertainment where people dress up in hyper feminine or masculine clothing and makeup and perform an act. Two out of 38 anti-trans bills have been passed and they were passed in Tennessee. The first bill, HB0009, classifies drag as “obscenity and pornography.” The bill’s summary reads, “As enacted, it creates an offense for a person who engages in an adult cabaret performance on public property or in a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” 

However, drag shows are not obscene and do not contain pornography, yet, these bills are still being passed. I believe that the true reason for these anti-drag bills being passed is due to insecurity within those hoping to pass these bills. Drag shows aren’t a threat to society, they don’t bring harm to anyone. So why get rid of them? Why not focus on other issues such as creating stricter gun regulation? It’s because it doesn’t benefit those already in power such as right-wing politicians.

Another type of anti-trans bill being passed is about trans students in school. One of the bills passed in Arkansas, HB1468, reads, “To create the given name act; and to prohibit requiring employees of public schools and state-supported institutions of higher education to use a person’s preferred pronoun, name or title without parental consent.” This means that a student who may not be out as trans at home can’t have their correct name and pronouns used at school. The majority of the time when kids aren’t out to their parents, it’s for their safety. 

I believe that this bill was passed as a power play. A student being called what they prefer doesn’t affect anyone’s safety or learning. No one is harmed in calling someone their preferred pronouns and name. 

What all of these bills have in common is that they are all transphobic and they would increase suicide rates. According to the National Institutes for Health, 82% of trans people consider suicide while 40% of trans people attempt suicide. Instead of allowing kids to live, these bills only limit their freedom.