Despite the visibility and support, 2025 has already surpassed previous years in anti-LGBTQ+ lawmaking. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a staggering 598 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year — already more than the 533 proposed in 2024 and 510 in 2023. Of those, 67 bills have become law, passed in just 21 states, with four states responsible for over a third of them.
Most of these new laws target transgender people’s access to public spaces, healthcare, and legal recognition.
A Nationwide Pattern of Discrimination
States like Idaho, Arkansas, and Wyoming lead in volume, with 7 laws each attacking trans rights. These bills range from banning gender-affirming healthcare and LGBTQ+ inclusive education, to restricting access to facilities that align with a person’s gender identity.
Other laws give providers the legal right to deny treatment or services based on religious beliefs, permit the misgendering of trans people, or erase LGBTQ+ visibility in schools and public institutions.
Below is a breakdown of notable anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed this year in each of the 21 states:
Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws by State:
🟠 Alabama
- 1 law: Bans trans people from accessing single-sex spaces not matching sex at birth.
🟠 Arkansas (6 laws)
- Bans on gender-affirming care, religious exemptions for discrimination, and restrictions on public funding for trans healthcare.
🟠 Georgia (3 laws)
- Bans on gender-affirming care for prisoners, trans participation in sports, and housing/healthcare discrimination protections.
🟠 Idaho (7 laws)
- Education censorship, bans on LGBTQ+ flags and DEI, and limits on gender-affirming treatment access.
🟠 Indiana (2 laws)
- Bans on trans women in sports and reclassifying denial of gender-affirming care as non-abusive.
🟠 Iowa (3 laws)
- Bans on birth certificate changes, Medicaid coverage for trans adults, and DEI initiatives.
🟠 Kansas (2 laws)
- Foster access for anti-LGBTQ+ parents and bans on youth gender-affirming care.
🟠 Kentucky (4 laws)
- Medicaid and youth care bans, DEI rollbacks, and prisoner care restrictions.
🟠 Louisiana (1 law)
- Broad religious exemption enabling anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.
🟠 Mississippi (1 law)
- Bans trans women from women’s prisons.
🟠 Montana (6 laws)
- Facilities bans, lawsuit rights for detransitioners, and removal of LGBTQ+ symbols from public institutions.
🟠 Nevada (1 law)
- Mandatory additional training for Medicaid providers treating trans patients.
🟠 North Carolina (1 law)
- Allows anti-LGBTQ+ parents to adopt/foster LGBTQ+ children.
🟠 North Dakota (1 law)
- Bans trans students from using facilities aligned with their identities.
🟠 Oklahoma (3 laws)
- Birth certificate restrictions, prison facility bans, and anti-trans foster policies.
🟠 South Dakota (1 law)
- Bans trans people from public facilities matching their gender identity.
🟠 Tennessee (3 laws)
- Permits misgendering in schools, religious-based treatment refusals, and bans on trans student facility access.
🟠 Texas (4 laws)
- Bans on pronoun use without parental consent, redefinitions of sex, and mental health support for trans youth.
🟠 Utah (5 laws)
- Prohibitions on legal sex changes, LGBTQ+ flags, and public facility access for trans individuals.
🟠 West Virginia (4 laws)
- Education censorship, bans on DEI, and gender-affirming care bans for youth.
🟠 Wyoming (7 laws)
- Bans on facility access, sports participation, flag displays, and affirming pronoun use.
ACLU: “2025 marks a coordinated escalation”
The ACLU says the legal push marks an escalation in efforts to erase LGBTQ+ people from public life, with many laws targeting trans youth and public visibility.
The group continues to monitor legislation, challenge laws in court, and support affected individuals.
