[Opinion] Anti-LGBTQ+ laws should not be passed in the U.S

Queer people in America have been victim to discrimination and hate since the foundation of the country and in 2022, nearly 250 years later, that has not changed. Only four months into the year, hundreds of new laws were passed in certain states to further the injustice that the LGBTQ+ community faces. These laws are cruel and put children and adults in danger. 

These bills affect schools, healthcare and the wellbeing of many queer people. School is a place where students are supposed to feel safe and with these laws, students are prohibited from being themselves. Florida passed the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This bill bans schools from talking about sexual orientation and gender identity which can give kids the wrong impression about these topics. Ignoring that queer people exist during school, which continues outside of school,  can give the effect that something is wrong with them. Everyone should have a chance to explore and talk about their sexuality and feel normal not to be heteronormative.

In schools, for example Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, students have started silently protesting through the wearing of their respective sexuality flags on clothes, pins, and even bringing physical flags to hold in school. Not only should the queer community stand up for themselves, but friends, classmates and teachers should stand up for them too. 

Some of the bills being passed are specifically targeting transgender people people. Not only are anti-transgender bills affecting every-day life, they are affecting the needs of transgender people. In many southern states, laws forbid doctors and health care providers from treating the transgender community for hormones or gender-affirming surgery. Denying someone a basic human right based on who they are and how they express themselves can not be justified. No doctor would deny healthcare from someone who is heterosexualand the same should be said for the LGBTQ+ community.

Most of the bills that are being passed are by states that are a conservative majority, a political identification whose beliefs usually disagree with or discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community. Republican majority states such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Arizona have all introduced laws targeting and removing the rights of transgender people. There are many more states following these examples and they should be stopped because passing these bills are creating hurt and chaos within the country.

If sexuality and gender identity is not discussed and normalized, then the country will be taking a step back keeping these subjects taboo and illegal. A countless amount of queer people have been victims to hateful words and violence and if bills like this keep being passed, many more will suffer.