Graphic by Marc Cabilangan/OutWrite
Content warning: hate crimes, transphobia
In 2023, there were at least 32 hate crimes that led to the deaths of transgender individuals. Many trans people may choose not to disclose their trans identity in situations where they feel it is unsafe or unnecessary to do so. Transgender children increasingly face an onslaught of demeaning and even life-threatening pressure to disclose from peers, parents, and, now, educators.
Recently, a trans teenager in Oklahoma City obtained a court order to update his gender identity on all official documents to reflect his male status. In response, the Oklahoma Board of Education initiated a frontal legislative attack on all trans students by imposing an emergency rule that “required school districts to get state approval before changing gender markers on student’s private files.” This unanimous board decision forbids trans students from being recognized and accepted — a decision that has clear transphobic motivations. So far, this emergency rule has prevented two students — including the trans teen mentioned earlier — from changing their gender on paper.
This ruling is not surprising considering Oklahoma’s current Superintendent of Public Instruction is Ryan Walters, whose first key moves as superintendent have been pushes for the reinforcement of prayer in schools, the hanging of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, and the censorship of books that contain undefined “sexually explicit” content. American Christian fundamentalist groups have historically weaponized and continue to weaponize religion to push forward anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Thus, Walters’ transphobia aligns with the rest of his political agenda. He has been quoted calling the desire to change one’s gender a “game” and making statements to “stand against this.”
A lawsuit was filed against Ryan Walters and the Board of Education (Doe v. Walters) on Dec. 23, 2023 by the family of the aforementioned student who was barred from changing his gender. The suit references not only Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 but also the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution, intending to defend the right of the student to change his gender. By instituting the emergency ruling, the Board of Education took a clear stance against trans rights and inclusion and denied the student and his parents’ appeal to change his gender status on his records.
The attack against transgender rights in the state of Oklahoma has been targeting the most vulnerable members of the community: those under the age of 18. Simply put, many young trans teenagers living in conservative states do not have the support of family or friends when concerning their identity. The Williams Institute of UCLA projects that 144,500 adolescents will be denied access to gender-affirming care due to pending and past legislation put forth by many state governments, including West Virginia, Kentucky, and Wyoming. Banning gender-affirming becomes even more dangerous when trans teens lack support systems.
In May 2023, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed a law which enforced penalties and criminal charges on any healthcare providers (including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association) who provide medical care, including hormone therapy, gynecological services, fertility preservation, and mental health services, for transgender youth ages 13-17. Despite the American Medical Association’s opposition against this law, Oklahoma politicians have set out to make it illegal for trans youths to access the services they need.
Considering the life-saving impacts of gender-affirming care and social transition, anti-trans legislation has continued to take precedence over child welfare and mental health. Not only have trans people’s medical rights been violated, but their right to safety and security in their place of education is determined by a cisheteronormative idea of gender expression. By prohibiting students from feeling comfortable, accepted, and uniquely themselves, Oklahoma schools have stripped them of the right to choose. State-sanctioned trans discrimination has amounted to about 500 anti-trans bills across the country, leading to a concerted effort by trans advocates and allies to protect certain liberties in health and gender identity on the federal level.
As 2024 is an election year, it is important to keep state and federal politics in mind when electing representatives who will either strengthen or diminish the rights of trans people nationwide. For the best information for current laws in your state or to learn more information about upcoming federal elections, visit Vote.gov.
Credits:
Author: Taylor Kunin-Ur (She/Her)
Artist: Marc Cabilangan (He/Him)
Copy Editors: Ava Rosenberg (She/They), Bella (She/Her)