Transgender

The State of Ohio is set to become the 49th state to allow transgender people to change their gender on their official birth certificates. The Ohio Department of Health has decided not to appeal a federal court ruling from December that ruled the state’s ban on gender changes in birth records is unconstitutional. In December, Judge Michael Watson, a George W. Bush appointee, ruled that the Buckeye State must allow for “corrections” on birth certificates after a lawsuit was filed by three women and one man seeking to change their birth records. Judge Watson cited a 2015 survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality that claimed that 36 percent of Ohio transgender people who showed IDs that did not match their chosen gender became a target of verbal harassment. This minority of transgender people also felt they had been denied benefits, services or were asked to leave places. “Today’s ruling affirms that the state must recognize the dignity and true identity of every … [Read more...] about Ohio to Allow Transgender People to Change Gender on Birth Certificates

The Florida legislature passed a bill Wednesday night that would ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports at the high school and college levels. The state House had earlier approved the bill, but it did not advance in the Florida Senate. Ultimately, the ban was made part of a popular charter school bill and was passed by a vote of 23-16 in the Senate, reported the News Service of Florida. The bill is now on the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). Florida joins Montana in having a bill to protect female sports sitting on their Governor's desk! https://t.co/PRUYYWBnzl — Save Women's Sports (@SaveWomensSport) April 29, 2021 The legislation would require eligibility to play on female sports teams based on “biological sex” on the birth certificate. State Sen. Victor Torres (D) criticized the bill, as did LGBTQ activists. “We don’t need to destroy the lives of those children and their futures. If they want to play, let them play,” he said. … [Read more...] about Florida Lawmakers Approve Bill Banning Transgender Athletes from Women’s Sports

Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed a flurry of bills into law on Wednesday, including one that protects female athletes in high school and college from competing against biological men who are living as transgender women. The new law is similar to legislation in over half of states seeking to preserve the protections under Title IX, a federal statute that prohibits discrimination against women based on their biological sex, the Associated Press reported : The bill was among 38 signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice. It had narrowly passed the state Senate, which had added the college component, before being overwhelmingly approved in the House of Delegates. Justice said earlier this week that he would “proudly” sign the bill despite warnings from some lawmakers that the NCAA could retaliate and decide not to hold college tournaments in the state. Last month, hundreds of college athletes signed a letter to the NCAA Board of Governors asking the organization to … [Read more...] about West Virginia GOP Governor Signs Measure to Protect Female Athletes from Transgender Competition

Elliot Page — the transgender star formerly known as actress Ellen Page — is taking aim at state legislation regarding transgender kids, claiming the new laws will ultimately be responsible for the “death of children.” In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, the formerly female star also claimed to have experienced a gender epiphany at an early age: “I was a little kid, absolutely, 100%, I was a boy.” Elliot Page spoke to Vanity Fair in advance of an Oprah Winfrey interview that is set to stream Friday on Apple TV+. “The backlash right now is so intense. But the rhetoric coming from anti-trans activists and anti-LGBTQ activists—it’s devastating. These bills are going to be responsible for the death of children. It is that simple,” Page said. Watch below: Page was referring to a new law in Arkansas, as well as legislation in several other states, that would bar children from receiving irreversible hormone treatment and sex-change operations, as well as … [Read more...] about Elliot Page Says Laws Regarding Transgender Kids Will Be ‘Responsible for the Death of Children’

By John Raby, Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s governor signed a bill Wednesday that bans transgender athletes from competing in female sports in middle and high schools and colleges. READ MORE: Pa. State Police Searching For 72-Year-Old Endangered, Possibly Armed Man Martin Hussey The bill was among 38 signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice. It had narrowly passed the state Senate, which had added the college component, before being overwhelmingly approved in the House of Delegates. Justice said earlier this week that he would “proudly” sign the bill despite warnings from some lawmakers that the NCAA could retaliate and decide not to hold college tournaments in the state. Last month, hundreds of college athletes signed a letter to the NCAA Board of Governors asking the organization to refuse to schedule championships in states that have banned transgender athlete participation in sports. The NCAA in 2016 moved championships out of North Carolina … [Read more...] about West Virginia Transgender Athlete Bill Signed By Governor Jim Justice