Advocates for Youth condemns North Dakota’s “bathroom bill,”  now a law, the latest measure attacking transgender health, rights, and existence to pass a state legislature.  The bill will bar transgender people from using facilities consistent with their gender in public buildings, forcing transgender women to use men’s bathrooms and locker rooms and transgender men to use women’s bathrooms and locker rooms. 

For over a week, Montana Representative Zooey Zephyr has not been permitted to speak in meetings of the Montana Legislature. As the Montana House discusses a bill that would ban gender affirming care and would allow schools to misgender children over their parents’ wishes, Representative Zephyr has asked to speak and been denied day after day. Rep. Zephyr’s fellow legislators on the Republican side have not only refused to allow her to speak but some have deliberately misgendered her.

The Supreme Court was correct to lift the outlandish restrictions placed on mifepristone access by the Fifth Circuit. Now, mifepristone will be available without interruption as this case moves forward. The case against mifepristone is groundless, and was fabricated as part of the anti-abortion movement’s efforts to end legal abortion everywhere in this country. Mifepristone is part of a safe and effective regimen for abortion care, and has been safely used by millions since it was approved over 20 years ago.

This harmful and discriminatory federal bill undeniably perpetuates sex-based discrimination in education and violates Title IX by creating a blanket ban to prevent transgender women and girls from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. 

Advocates for Youth applauds the New York Assembly and New York State Senate for passing legislation that would help ensure students on college campuses have access to abortion. The bill would require SUNY and CUNY campuses to provide access to medication abortion. 

College students led efforts to pass the bill. In 2022, Barnard College agreed to offer medication on campus after lengthy student activist efforts.  New York’s youth-led Reproductive Justice Collective spearheaded the initiative for a state-wide bill. 

Advocates for Youth strongly condemns the expansion of Florida’s “don’t say gay or trans” bill to include grades 4-12.  Though the bill permits teachers in higher grades to include sexual orientation and gender identity in sex education, it needlessly bans LGBTQ history and literature, and stigmatizes LGBTQ youth and families.