2024 Is Shaping Up to Be a Bad Year for Anti-Trans Laws

By Nadira Jamerson | Word In Black (WIB) – From Bayard Rustin organizing the first Freedom Ride in 1947 to Marsha P. Johnson being a courageous force behind the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969, Black history and LGBTQ+ history are deeply intertwined. But as we‘ve been celebrating the legacy of Black life and culture this month, many of our queer community members continue to be under attack by legislation aimed at stripping away their rights. Less than three months into 2024,& 496 anti-trans bills& have already been introduced in 41 states across the country. The draft legislation ranges from bills that seek to block transgender people from receiving basic healthcare to enforcing education restrictions, and erasing legal recognition. The legislative climate is making it particularly hard for Black trans people to exist.& Related: What Do Rules Restricting Trans Rights Mean for Black LGBTQ+ Students? “There has been increased and more direct displays of transphobic discrimination targeted at people that I know within the community,” Joelle Bayaa-Uzuri Espeut, Black trans activist and director of programming at& The Normal Anomaly& — an organization centering Black, queer plus persons to overcome barriers and end stigma — tells Word In Black.& The largest& survey& of...