House Republicans are zeroing in on legislation that critics say would roll back protections for transgender people, setting a playbook for action on a divisive social issue they intend to pursue if they take control of Congress this fall.
The bills have no chance of passing the House or Senate due to the Democrats’ slim majority in Congress, but according to Reuters, what is happening is a sure sign that Republicans plan “to elevate a battle over transgender rights that has so far largely played out at the state level.”
House Republicans are getting serious
Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a bill that would block federal funding to colleges where transgender women are allowed to participate in sports.
Another bill would allow transgender people to sue medical personnel who helped them transition as minors.
Yet another bill would block funding to schools that disobey state laws regarding “materials harmful to minors,” mimicking state laws that have been used to remove books discussing history around race and LGBT themes.
Let’s talk about the first bill, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) in January 2021. So far, the Democratic-controlled House Education and Labor Committee has not taken the bill into consideration.
A discharge petition to bring the bill to the House floor has 187 signatures, with 218 needed to force a vote. Though it is unlikely that the bill will get any Democratic support, which it would need to reach the 218 threshold, stated support from 89 percent of the GOP conference sends a signal that it is a major priority for Republicans.
According to The Hill, a Senate version of the bill introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has 24 GOP co-sponsors. “I’m confident that this will remain a priority for our conference after 2022,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
It becomes a litmus test for true Republicans
Violence against LGBT people has increased fourfold between 2020 and 2021 in the United States, according to ACLED, a nonpartisan organization that tracks violence globally. The increase occurred during a three-year uptick in anti-LGBT bills introduced in state legislatures, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
“There has always been fringe voices who oppose LGBTQ equality, but now, unfortunately, that fringe has grown loud and is being given national platforms,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, a LGBT advocacy group.
Transgender rights advocates have widely criticized policies excluding trans athletes, saying they are being denied the positive benefits that come with participating in sports.
At the same time, there has been a major shift among Republicans in issues like banning trans athletes from women’s sports. Not too many years ago, GOP lawmakers ahied away from trans issues.
This is quite a bit different than it was in 2016, when North Carolina passed the “Bathroom Bill,” banning transgender individuals from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity. Portions of the measure were later repealed in 2017 as part of a compromise between the Democratic governor and Republican-controlled Legislature.
:We were having a hard time getting Trump to say anything about it,” said Terry Schilling, president of the conservative American Principles Project. “You fast forward to today, and it’s a litmus test for being a Republican, and it’s a litmus test for being able to rise to the national stage.”
