A List Of All Wins For Trans Rights And Trans People In 2022

2022 was a tough year for anti-trans legislation, but a lot of good things happened too. Countless bills were beaten and rights were advanced across the globe. Here are the victories!

Photo by Jingda Chen on Unsplash

2022 was a tough year for transgender people, but it was not without its victories. While it is true that more anti-trans bills were proposed than any other time in history (155 bills in 2022), the vast majority of those bills were defeated. Many states saw advancements in transgender rights and new protections for transgender people - California and Nevada both passed amazing trans protective laws (among many other states). Other states like Ohio featured strong pushes against anti-trans legislation with major victories for the rights organizations and local organizers.

Transgender candidates won across the board this year. Inspirational stories emerged such as newly elected Zooey Zephyr’s discussion with a flight attendant with a transgender kid right as they landed and she learned she had won. On that same day, anti-trans candidates lost across the United States. School board races and statewide races alike resulted in huge defeats for Republicans who made anti-trans issues central to their campaigns.

There were many other victories as well. Amy Schneider’s historic Jeopardy run happened this year, as did her victory in the Tournament of Champions. We saw numerous studies showing transgender suicide rates are lowered by gender affirming care - these studies will be central to future fights for transgender rights in court. We also saw major figures like Jon Stewart and John Oliver come out swinging for transgender rights in their respective shows.

2022 was a year of victories for transgender people, and all trans people and activists should feel extremely proud. Here are all of the victories this year:

Transgender Candidates And Allies Win

• Zooey Zephyr and Sj Howell in Montana. Montana gains its first two transgender legislators in history in the same year. Both legislators will be taking their positions in a state where transgender rights are very much in debate. Their presence will inspire people throughout the state.

• James Roesener becomes the first trans man legislator in any state. Rep. Roesener is now the first transgender man to be a legislator in New Hampshire. His historic victory gives transgender men representation where laws are made.

• Minnesota gains a trans lawmaker in Leigh Finke. Leigh Finke is now Minnesota’s first transgender lawmaker. Minnesota could pass very good pro-trans protections and her presence there will help that happen.

• Transgender legislator Brianna Titone wins reelection in Colorado. Brianna Titone was Colorado’s first transgender representative and she won reelection this year!

• Vermont gains a transgender legislator in Taylor Small. Vermont now has its first openly transgender legislator, Taylor Small, providing trans representation in the state.

• Mauree Turner becomes the first nonbinary representative in Oklahoma. Mauree Turner’s victory cements them as one of the first nonbinary representatives in the United States.

• 7 out of 9 Democratic candidates in Wake County, North Carolina. Wake County was the site of a major school board race where anti-trans candidates were contending for the school board seats. Those candidates lost their races.

• Anti-trans candidates lose across the country. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, and many other states features anti-trans statewide candidates as well as local school board races. Anti-trans candidates were routed during the election this year, showing that focusing on transgender people is not a winning issue for republicans.

• Laura Kelley wins in Kansas. Laura Kelley vetoed anti-trans bills last year and is one of the only people protecting Kansas from becoming actively an anti-trans state in its laws. Her victory will protect so many transgender people in the state.

Major Bills And Laws Passed

• Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act. This codifies the right for LGBTQ+ people to marry the people of their choosing and does not leave the decision up to the courts, which recently overturned Roe v. Wade.

• California passes a sanctuary law for transgender people. In California, SB107 was passed. This law is a comprehensive law protecting transgender people and means that transgender people fleeing states like Texas and Alabama can seek refuge in California if they are being investigated for providing gender affirming care for their trans youth. It also adds child custody protections and more.

• Minneapolis passes a sanctuary act for transgender people. In Minneapolis, the city passed a law that protects transgender people under investigation for gender affirming care similar to SB107.

• Washington D.C. passes the Human Rights Sanctuary Act. This act protects abortion refugees as well as transgender refugees similar to California’s SB107. If transgender people are being investigated for gender affirming care, or if parents are being investigated for gender affirming care for their kids, they can flee to Washington, D.C. and will not be extradited.

• Massachusetts passes a bill that codifies gender affirming care as a right protected by the constitution. This bill passed by Massachusetts says that gender affirming care is protected by the constitution and protects access to it by trans youth.

• Nevada passes a constitutional equal rights amendment. This amendment adds gender identity as a protected class to the constitution of Nevada and will protect transgender people in Nevada from bills and actions taken against them there.

• Name change confidentially in New Jersey. Governor Murphy signed an executive order in New Jersey requiring name changes be kept confidential in court, giving transgender people there much needed privacy.

• Durham County Public Schools passes sweeping trans protections. Durham County Public Schools in North Carolina represents over 30k students and they passed sweeping protections for transgender student bathroom access, sports access, name changes, and more!

• Transgender people in Spain, Scottland get rights codified into law. On the same day, both Spain and Scotland passed major trans right reforms. In Scotland, transgender people gain easier access to legal recognition by the state. In Spain, trans people get protection from conversion therapy and the right to change their legal gender without parent approval at 16 years old.

Major Court wins

• The Fourth Circuit Court Of Appeals ruled that Gender Dysphoria is a disability and is therefore protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act. This landmark ruling could provide accommodations for transgender students in many different ways and will be cited in many cases to come - it could protect bathroom accommodations, access to care, legal birth certificate updates, and more.

• Judge blocks gender affirming care ban in Alabama. A federal judge ruled that Alabama could not ban gender affirming care for trans youth. This bill will likely continue to work its way through the court system, but for now, transgender youth in Alabama can obtain gender affirming care.

• Arkansas not allowed to restart its gender affirming care ban. A federal judge ruled that Arkansas could not restart its gender affirming care ban for trans youth. The case is currently still working its way through the courts but for the time being, trans youth in Arkansas can access gender affirming care.

• Victory for gender affirming care in Texas. Ximena Lopez was granted the right to continue providing gender affirming care for transgender youth in Texas after Texas started treating gender affirming care as child abuse within the state.

• Transgender people in North Carolina can change their birth certificates. A ruling in North Carola stated that transgender people can change their birth certificates without getting surgery. Previously, North Carolina gated birth certificate changes only for people who could have the expensive surgeries.

• Transgender boys given the right to use the boys bathroom in schools in Indiana. In Indiana, a judge ruled that two transgender boys were being discriminated against when they were banned from bathrooms in Indiana. This ruling shows that transgender students have the right to use the bathroom of their gender identity in Indiana.

• A judge ruled that Wisconsin schools could keep transgender gender identities confidential. In Wisconsin, a judge ruled that parents do not have to be notified of transgender students being trans. This allows trans students to talk to their counselors and decide when they want to come out.

• Judge rules that Iowa medicaid must cover GRS. Several states ban gender affirming care for those on medicaid, but in Iowa, a court ruled that Iowa’s medicaid must cover gender affirming care.

• Montana transgender people allowed to change their birth certificates. Montana was the site of many court battles over a birth certificate ban for transgender people. After bucking the courts and defying court orders, Montana finally gave in to a court ruling that they must allow transgender people to change their birth certificates.

• Transgender athletes have the right to compete in Connecticut. This court victory gave transgender athletes in Connecticut the right to compete and tossed out challenges to ban transgender people from sports.

• College transgender athletes have the right to compete in Montana. This court victory gave transgender athletes in college in Montana the right to compete in sports that match their gender identities.

• West Virginia must allow transgender birth certificate updates. A court victory in West Virginia means that transgender people in West Virginia can finally update their birth certificates.

• Indiana court rules that transgender kids can play on sports teams. In response to a 10 year old transgender girl wanting to play sports, a judge ruled in her favor. This puts a major wrench in anti-trans sports bans in Indiana.

• Utah reverses athlete ban in a court ruling. In Utah, a judge reversed a terrible law that meant anyone accused of being trans would have to be investigated by a panel of sports administrators. Unsurprisingly, many cisgender people were accused of being transgender, and a judge finally shot down the law after multiple cisgender students were investigated.

• Texas Courts blocked from child abuse investigations. In Texas, Greg Abbott began investigating all transgender youth for child abuse by their parents. A judge stopped those investigations for PFLAG families. Although the Texas case is currently back and forth in the state, this was a major victory.

Anti-trans bills defeated:

• FL H0211 - This would have provided a criminal penalty for youth transition and would have entirely banned gender affirming care for trans youth. DEFEATED!

• MS HB2728 - This would have provided a criminal penalty for youth transition and would have entirely banned gender affirming care for trans youth. DEFEATED!

• MS SB2356 - This bill would have prevented name changes for minors and people in jail in Mississippi. DEFEATED!

• MS SB2679 - This bill would have required teachers to out transgender students in Mississippi schools. DEFEATED!

• VA SB20 - This bill would have reversed all transgender protections in Virginia schools. DEFEATED!

• VA HB1126 - This bill would have banned transgender youth from restrooms and forcibly outed trans students in Virginia. DEFEATED!

• VA SB766 - This bill would have banned transgender students from participation in sports matching their gender identity. DEFEATED!

• IN SB0034 - This would have been a criminal ban on youth transition in Indiana. DEFEATED!

• IN HB1041 - This bill would have banned trans people from sports in Indiana. It was vetoed. DEFEATED!

• NH HB1651 - This bill would have treated gender affirming care as child abuse. DEFEATED!

• SD HB1005 - This bill would have banned transgender students from bathrooms and sleeping accommodations. DEFEATED!

• WY SF0051 - This bill would have banned transgender people from sports. DEFEATED!

• UT HB0127 - This bill would have banned gender affirming care for trans youth. DEFEATED!

• WV HB2171 - This bill would have banned trans youth from gender affirming care and provided criminal penalties. DEFEATED!

• WV HB4016 - This bill would have prevented LGBTQ+ topics in schools. DEFEATED!

• OH HB454 - This bill would have banned gender affirming care for trans youth in Ohio and featured dozens of hours of testimony and debate. DEFEATED!

• TN SB2777 - This bill would have protected teachers rights to misgender students in schools. DEFEATED!

Other Big Wins

• Multiple studies come out stating that gender affirming care is protective of transgender youth. Three studies coming out in the beginning of 2022 showed that gender affirming care reduces transgender suicide rates between 41-73%.

• Amy Schneider’s historic Jeopardy run. Amy Schneider this year made history as the highest winning woman in Jeopardy. She dominated the game and even won the Tournament of Champions.

• Jon Stewart and John Oliver come out fully swinging for trans rights. John Oliver released a fact filled episode on transgender rights and Jon Stewart did likewise, also taking down Arkansas Attorney General Rutledge on bans on gender affirming care for trans youth.

• WPATH releases WPATH 8 standards of care. The WPATH 8 standards of care were subject to many challenges by anti-trans organizations and many transgender people wondered what would be in it. The new standards of care for transgender people worldwide lowers the number of letters needed for surgery, does not include “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria” or “gender exploratory therapy” (conversion therapy) as a mainline of treatment.

• Trans teen voted to homecoming court in Louisiana. Louisiana is not typically seen as a place where trans people have many rights legally or culturally, but a transgender teen won a spot in the homecoming court in Louisiana, a huge inspiration for trans youth in the state.