A Case For Hope: The Victories Trans People Won In 2023

2023 was one of the toughest years for transgender people ever, but it was not without its victories. I list the biggest ones here.

Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

The year 2023 was exceptionally challenging for transgender people. Members of the community have grappled with a surge of legislation affecting every facet of their lives, ranging from bathroom access and sports participation to artistic expression, literature, and healthcare availability. This onslaught coincides with pervasive inflammatory rhetoric and a presidential election cycle that could decisively impact our rights for an entire generation, accompanied by extensive media coverage platforming extreme transphobia and hate. However, this article will not focus on these difficulties. Despite these challenges, there have been moments of immense hope that have emerged. It is these victories that trans people can carry into the New Year with hope.

Here are all of the biggest victories for transgender people in 2023:

Court Victories

• Iowa Don’t Say Gay Law, book ban blocked in court. This ruling is one of the first rulings saying that firing teachers for discussing LGBTQ+ people is unconstitutional.

• Florida drag ban blocked in court and even the Supreme Court refused to allow DeSantis to enforce it.

• Montana drag ban blocked in a state court after they attempted to use it to stop a transgender woman from speaking at a library.

• Texas drag ban blocked and declared an unconstitutional restriction on free speech.

• Tennessee drag ban blocked and declared to be an unconstitutional restriction on free speech.

• Montana gender affirming care ban blocked in state court, with the judge citing overwhelming medical evidence behind trans care.

• Idaho gender affirming care ban blocked citing violations of protections on parental rights in a major federal victory for trans people.

• Chino Valley forced outing in California blocked with the judge ruling that it unconstitutionally targets the transgender community.

• Ohio trans access to bathrooms upheld in a major win for bathroom rights for students.

• Natalie Ryan wins right to play disc golf after winning several court cases.

• No “right to misgender” trans students in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Supreme Court allows trans student to continue to play sports in West Virginia in one of the few Supreme Court decisions seen in 2023.

• Texas book ban blocked, which was one of the harshest book bans in the nation.

• 7th Circuit Court rules that trans students have the right to use the bathroom of their gender identity in Indiana in a major victory for bathroom access.

• Arkansas trans care ban blocked in court and ruled as unconstitutional.

• Indiana gender affirming care ban blocked in court.

• Adult care restrictions blocked in Missouri.

• Helena Pride allowed to go on after legal threats.

• BoroPride allowed to go on after legal threats.

• Blount County Pride allowed to go on after legal threats.

• Idaho bathroom ban blocked in 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Legislative And Policy Victories

• DeWine vetoes gender affirming care ban in Ohio in one of the few examples of a Republican vetoing an anti-trans bill.

• Anti-trans provisions removed from NDAA after republicans threatened to hold national funding hostage if anti-trans provisions were not included.

• 15 states pass shield laws protecting trans care. These laws have already proven useful when out of state attorneys general have attempted to get medical records on people traveling to obtain care.

• Arkansas bathroom ban changed at the last minute to not ban trans people from bathrooms.

• West Virginia trans ban exception for severe dysphoria added after local activists successfully plead for at least some access to care.

• Michigan equality act expands protections to transgender people in the state under civil rights laws.

• Wyoming gender affirming care ban defeated in one of the few examples of a red state ban being failing to pass.

• South Dakota drag ban defeated in the state legislature.

• Drag ban gutted in Arkansas so that it no longer targets drag performances.

• Murfreesboro homosexuality ordinance overturned after previously banning “public homosexuality.”

• Kansas gender affirming care ban vetoed making it one of the few states in the region to no longer have a ban on gender affirming care for trans youth.

• Wisconsin anti-trans bills vetoed by Governor Tony Evers.

• Maryland Trans Health Equity Act passed securing gender affirming care coverage for an expanded list of procedures for trans people in the state.

• Kids Online Safety Act that could target LGBTQ+ content tabled.

• Oregon passes mandatory coverage for all trans healthcare in a major move expanding healthcare access in the state.

• Washington bill protecting trans runaways passes which would mean that trans runaways would not need to be automatically reported to parents if they fear conversion therapy.

• Francis Howell school district stops trans bathroom ban.

• Conestoga Valley School District blocks sports ban.

• Largest school district in Vermont codifies trans rights for students.

• School boards reject Youngkin’s anti-trans model policies.

Election Victories

• Loudoun County School Board victory for candidates supporting trans students in a major bellwether.

• Central Bucks School Board victory usurps seats held by anti-trans board members in a huge swing.

• Lin-Mar school district in Iowa saw all Moms For Liberty candidates lose.

• Fairfax County School Board sees pro-LGBTQ+ candidates sweep every seat.

• Pennsylvania Central York School District saw Democrats sweep over LGBTQ+ policies.

• 12 of 13 Moms For Liberty candidates in Iowa lost, all running on anti-trans platforms.

• Pella, Iowa votes against book ban despite being a Trump +35 town.

• Andy Beshear wins Kentucky election despite vetoing anti-trans bill, millions of dollars in anti-trans ads.

• Judge Daniel McCaffery elected to Pennsylvania State Supreme Court, after running on a pro-trans rights platform.

• Judge Janet Protesiewicz wins Wisconsin Supreme Court seat after millions in anti-trans ads spent against her.

• Ohio abortion amendment wins despite Republicans campaigning on how it would “allow trans rights.”

• Scalia’s daughter loses Albemarle County school board election, despite running against trans people in her district.

• Virginia House and Senate takeover after Republicans campaign mailers listed “transgender sports” as a top Republican priority.

• Danica Roem elected to the Senate as first trans woman Senator in Virginia.

• Olivia Hill becomes Tennessee’s first trans elected official.

• Moms For Liberty suffers massive nationwide defeat in elections with 73% of candidates losing.

• California school district successfully launches recall of anti-trans school board member.

Studies and Polls:

• 76% say trans care should be decided by patients and doctors, not politicians in landmark poll.

• First ever RCT shows trans care lowers suicidality in those allowed to start testosterone quickly vs. those who have to wait.

• 21 State AGs release report showing no negative incidents from trans people in bathrooms, challenging state bathroom bans in red states.

• Swedish study shows no social contagion as transition rates stabilize.

• “Wave of detransitioners” fails to materialize for another year as the same dozen or so detransitioners continue to fly from state to state, some being paid to do so.

• 84% oppose book bans, 66% oppose Don’t Say Gay laws in major poll.

• Louisiana report shows trans care safe and effective despite being commissioned by a Republican legislature.

• Fox news poll: 86% say political attacks on trans kids are a problem.

• NPR/PBS poll with majority opposing criminalizing trans youth.

• 71% of Kentucky opposes gender affirming care ban, despite Kentucky passing the law.

• Study in Pediatrics showing puberty blockers reduce suicidality providing major justification for their continued use.

• JAMA Study shows top surgery regret is almost 0, showcasing the immense benefits of surgery for transgender people.

International victories

• Sweeping pro-trans law in Spain making gender changes easier.

• Japan makes it easier to change gender markers.

• Japan ruling against workplace harassment and forced haircuts.

Other victories

• Biggest Trans Day of Visibility marches ever after being led by youth organizers across the United States and abroad.

• Kim Petras becomes first openly trans Grammy award winner (though not the first, Wendy Carlos also won, though she was not openly trans at the time).

• Trans boy allowed to star in Oklahoma! Play after being blocked by school district.

• Pro-trans rallies outnumber anti-trans marches in Canada in a show of support after anti-trans demonstrators planned demonstrations against transgender rights.

• Yosha Iglesias becomes first trans Woman International Master in chess.

• Representative Zooey Zephyr gains international praise and a major platform, named one of the Time 100 Next award winners, after being censured by the legislature for speaking out against anti-trans bill. (disclosure: the author of this article is, happily, engaged to Rep. Zephyr)

• Trans kid wins Irish Dancing competition and goes to the world championship.

Despite the challenges faced by trans people this year, these victories that have been achieved offer reasons for hope. In 2024, trans people will likely continue to face assaults on their basic human rights. Yet, there will be victories as well. The struggle for trans rights is not one to be resolved in a single year; it is evolving into one of the defining generational battles of our era. Each win this year sows seeds of hope, and these seeds planted today can grow into the movement that will the rights of transgender people for generations to come.