2023 anti-trans bills tracker
In 2023, anti-trans bills continue to be introduced across the country. We track legislation that seeks to block trans people from receiving basic healthcare, education, legal recognition, and the right to publicly exist.
590 bills
49 states
85 passed
380 active
125 failed
Click on a state to see bills
National anti-trans bills
We're tracking 36 national anti-trans bills in the United States in 2023. This sweeping introduction of legislation at the federal level is unprecedented, seeking to impact access to healthcare, student athletics, the military, incarceration, and education.
Passed anti-trans bills
In 2023, 85 anti-trans bills have already passed out of the 590 proposed across the country. Of those, 84 have been signed into law and 1 others passed, but haven't yet been vetoed or signed. This number will likely change as legislative sessions continue throughout the year.
To put that in perspective, in 2022 we saw 26 bills pass out of the 174 bills proposed (15%).
What do the bills say?
We encourage you to explore the anti-trans bills that are being considered across the U.S. in 2023. Each bill listing links to the original text that you can read for yourself. Below are some excerpts from the bills that we're tracking.
What bills are you tracking?
We strive to present the most comprehensive and up-to-date data record of anti-trans legislation in the United States. Trans Legislation Tracker also maintains an expanding archive of historical data regarding U.S. anti-trans bills.
What is happening with anti-trans legislation in 2023?
2023 marks the fourth consecutive record-breaking year for anti-trans legislation in the U.S. In just one month, the U.S. doubled the number of anti-trans bills being considered across the country from the previous year. We've seen familiar themes: attacks on gender-affirming care, education, athletics, birth certificates, religious discrimination, and other categories documented in our 2022 anti-trans legislation overview.
However, in 2023 we've seen an escalation on healthcare, as states like Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Carolina introduce bans on gender-affirming care that extend into adulthood—up to 26 years old.
In educational settings, bills like AZ HB1700 encourage parents to report and ban books which "promote gender fluidity or gender pronouns." Others like AZ SB1001 require that both a guardian and teacher approve of a student's pronouns.
We've also seen the rise of "drag bans" targeting gender non-conforming performance. Bills like AZ SB1026 use broad definitions like dressing "in clothing and makeup opposite of the performer's [...] gender at birth" and using language like "drag show targeting minors" to insinuate harmful intent. And the definitions are often broad enough to include libraries hosting story hours, musicals, or even an acting troupe performing Shakespeare.
National anti-trans legislation also surfaced in 2023. The "Women's Bill of Rights" would erase trans recognition by the federal government, defining sex assigned at birth as an "immutable" definition of man or woman, boy or girl. The "My Child, My Choice Act" would impose educational restrictions nationally that are similar to those we're tracking in states across the country.
Learn about anti-trans legislation
Do you want to learn about the recent history of anti-trans legislation in the United States? We maintain an overview of anti-trans data that documents the steep rise in U.S. bills targeting trans kids and adults. You can also explore our complete record of 2022 anti-trans legislation.
Our further reading recommendations curate articles exploring the language and arguments employed in these transphobic bills, as well as the organizations promoting anti-trans legislation.
We produce our own features including "What about Texas?", which describes state-level efforts that go beyond the footprint of legislation, like Texas Governor Gregg Abbott's recent attack on widely accepted gender-affirming care.
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Our data has helped reporters, researchers, and U.S. government agencies bring awareness to anti-trans legislation.
