This year, a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been introduced in state legislatures [1]. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the number of bills is over five hundred so far [2]. The majority of these bills are targeted at public school curriculum, primarily affecting LGBTQ+ youth. Bills such as Florida’s HB 1557 “Don’t Say Gay'' law not only limits student education in fields such as psychology and biology, but also negatively impacts their mental and physical health [3]. The second largest category of bills introduced this year have targeted health care, especially gender-affirming health care, which has been recognized by experts as “medically necessary” for transgender individuals [1]. Republican legislators claim they are passing these laws to protect the children, but science says that they are doing the exact opposite.
Curriculum censorship of sexual education is just one of the facets that these curriculum bans target. Improper sexual education, which includes not discussing safe sex practices for LGBTQ+ individuals, can be very dangerous for youth health. “Research shows that when young people fail to receive high-quality, inclusive sex education, they are more likely to experience negative sexual health outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancies, and sexual violence,” says Jennifer Driver, the Senior Director of Reproductive Rights at State Innovation Exchange [4].
The other harmful aspect of curriculum censorship is its effect on mental health. Social marginalization of LGBTQ+ youth through legislation often makes them feel unsafe in their own schools. According to a recent study, “The creation and amplification of societal stressors along with the inability of teachers and staff to support students may deepen existing mental health disparities and constrain possible avenues of social support. Further, stress created from policies such as HB 1557 can potentially exacerbate stress-related comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease and hypertension” [3]. Sixty of the roughly three hundred anti-LGBTQ+ education-related bills introduced this year also include “forced outing” procedures, which would require teachers and staff to report any changes in a student’s pronouns or identity to their parents. This is extremely unsafe for students who may not be out to their parents or do not have parents who are accepting of their identity.
Health equity is a major issue in addressing the anti-transgender laws introduced and passed over the recent years. Gender-affirming care is defined as “evidence-based care that uses a multidisciplinary approach to help a person transition from their assigned gender — the one the person was designated at birth — to their affirmed gender — the gender by which one wants to be known.” The majority of Americans support the ability for minors to have access to gender-affirming health care, but two-thirds of the bills introduced this year aim to block it [1]. The anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced in recent years is not simply a matter of educational curriculum; it is a matter of the health and livelihoods of millions of United States citizens. “We should not underestimate the extreme stress and trauma of having one’s very existence repeatedly debated and threatened, even if some threats are eventually vetoed,” says Toby Beauchamp, author and Associate Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [5]. The debate of one’s identity can have adverse effects on one’s mental state and sense of security, even if proposed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is defeated. The mere consideration of this legislation in the governmental sphere is harmful and has long-lasting effects on mental and physical health.
[1] Choi, A. (2023, April 6). Record number of anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced this year. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/06/politics/anti-lgbtq-plus-state-bill-rights-dg/index.html.
[2] Mapping attacks on LGBTQ rights in U.S. state legislatures | American Civil Liberties Union. (2023, November 3). American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights?impact=&state=VA.
[3] Kline, N. S., Griner, S. B., Neelamegam, M., Webb, N. J., Morales, J. J., & Rhodes, S. D. (2022). Responding to "Don't Say Gay" Laws in the US: Research Priorities and Considerations for Health Equity. Sexuality research & social policy : journal of NSRC : SR & SP, 19(4), 1397–1402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-022-00773-0.
[4] Yurcaba, J. (2020, October 14). Sex Ed That Excludes LGBTQ+ People Is Tied To Worse Health Outcomes. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joyurcaba/2020/10/14/sex-ed-that-excludes-lgbtq-people-is-tied-to-worse-health-outcomes/?sh=50d7240e13cb.
[5] Heckel, J. (2022, June 14). Why are so many states trying to limit transgender rights? https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/1999047878.