A record number of anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in state legistlatures this year. From bills trying to ban access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth to bills restricting curriculum in public schools, LGBTQ+ rights are being tested like never before.
On the front lines of this debate are Wendy Strout, Human Rights Campaign’s Wisconsin Director; Melinda Brennan, the ACLU’s Wisconsin Executive Director; and Jessica Katzenmeyer, former Wisconsin State Senate candidate. The three spoke to 25 journalists from a variety of states covering their own statehouses.
Key quotes from Strout, the Wisconsin state director of the Human Rights Campaign:
“But back to legislatively, as Jessica said, it’s been a rough year. We thought last year was the worst ever year for LGBTQ+ bills. But no, 2023 has proven to be even worse. We’ve seen over 500 bills introduced. We’ve seen at least 75 enacted.”
“Know that words matter. A lot of Americans are afraid to talk about sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, but LGBTQ+ people use a variety of terms to describe themselves. …On our website, hrc.org, we actually have a lot of resources for people so you can know how do you identify people, how do you talk about people. …. We also have our communications department. You can email press@hrc.org to ask. Ask, ‘What is this legislation? Am I talking about this right? Is this the right terminology? Or can you explain more about this piece of legislation?’”
Key quotes from Brennan, the executive director at ACLU Wisconsin:
“Culture wars raise money and the people that are on the margins are easy targets. … It’s optional to be an ally. It’s optional to refuse homophobia, it’s optional to refuse transphobia. It’s optional. And so anyone who isn’t a member of the community can just not pay attention. And so the only people that can’t opt out are the ones that are directly impacted.”
“… the more volatile this political environment is, the less safe people of marginalized backgrounds are going to feel. And that impacts their day-to-day living; that’s going to the grocery store, that’s how safe they feel at work.”
“… When you look at Gen Z and essentially what their political bent is towards this particular conglomeration of humans who is LGBTQ, it’s very clear that they are not interested in going backwards.”
Key quotes from Katzenmeyer, the first trans woman to win a contested primary in Wisconsin’s history by nearly 10 points:
“It’s very exhausting being a transgender person in a state like Wisconsin. It’s a very purple state where elections can really decide, one way or another, how the state goes in terms of transgender rights, LGBTQ rights. We’ve seen what’s happened in Florida. We’ve seen what’s happened in Texas and Tennessee. And things are threatening to happen right now as well too.”
“I always appreciated it when people got the time to get to know who I was when I was a candidate. They asked me the questions about what it was like to be who I am too, to get that real story out there, and made me feel comfortable doing the interview…”
Access the full transcript here.
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