The Advocate website and magazine released its list of “10 States That Passed the Worst Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws in 2023,” and North Carolina (unfortunately) secured a place on that list. Coming in as the second worst state in the country for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed in 2023, North Carolina only fell behind Florida on the list.
“North Carolina, which had made progress on LGBTQ+ rights since its 2016 “bathroom bill” led to widespread outrage, took a big step backward in 2023,” the story on the Advocate website says. “In August, legislators overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of three anti-LGBTQ+ bills.”
The three bills the story is referring to are HB 808, HB 574 and SB 49, each of which target LGBTQ+ North Carolinians from different aspects. HB 808, also known as the Act to Prohibit Gender Transition Procedures For Minors, prohibits doctors from giving gender affirming health care to children under 18 and was implemented on August 16. Some of the treatments barred because of HB 808 include puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgical care. The law punishes doctors who continue to provide gender-affirming care by revoking the individual’s license. In addition, state funds for North Carolina Medicaid participants can’t be used to pay for gender-affirming medical care to minors.
HB 574 bars trans girls from participating on sports teams that correlate with the gender they identify at both the K-12 and collegiate level. SB 49, also known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, prohibits the discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in Kindergarten through 4th grade and requires schools to allow parents to inspect and review all textbooks and instructional materials. Senate Bill 49 defines curriculum to “include the standard course of study and support materials, locally developed curriculum, supplemental instruction, and textbooks and other supplementary materials, but does not include responses to student-initiated questions.”
Other states that were also mentioned in Advocate’s list were Florida, Idaho, North Dakota, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, Montana and Iowa.