We are tracking 27 anti-trans bills in West Virginia in 2025. The legislation impacts 7 categories:
PRONOUNS
OTHER
ADOPTION
EDUCATION
HEALTHCARE
BATHROOM
PERFORMANCE
The purpose of this bill is to eliminate divisions, officers, programs, trainings, and policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion from all departments, divisions, agencies, boards, public primary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education.
Preferred Gender Pronouns. [...] County board and public charter school employees shall not be: (1) Required to use a student’s preferred pronoun when referring to the student if the preferred pronoun is not consistent with the student’s sex; (2) Civilly liable for using a pronoun that is consistent with the sex of the student to whom the teacher or employee is referring, even if the pronoun is not the student’s preferred pronoun; and (3) Subject to an adverse employment action for not using a student’s preferred pronoun if the student’s preferred pronoun is inconsistent with the student’s sex.
The purpose of this bill is to define and preserve single-sex spaces in this state.
The purpose of this article is to: (1) Reaffirm the longstanding meaning of sex, male, and female in state law. (2) Preserve women's restrooms, multiple occupancy restrooms or changing rooms, and sleeping quarters for women in facilities where women have been traditionally afforded privacy and safety from acts of abuse, harassment, sexual assault, and violence committed by men. (3) Bring clarity, certainty, and uniformity to the laws of the state regarding sex discrimination, privacy, equality of the sexes, and benefits or services specifically provided to men and women. (b) This article shall apply wherever the state or an instrumentality of the state classifies people on the basis of sex or otherwise defines people as being female or male, women or men, girls or boys.
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit, as a condition for eligibility to foster or adopt, by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, the requirement to affirm, accept or support any government policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the parent's sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.
No current or prospective adoptive or foster parent (hereinafter sometimes "parent") shall [...] be required [...] to affirm, accept or support any government policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the parent’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit a public school student from being required to participate in instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity if a parent, custodian, or guardian of the student objects in writing; require each public school to afford the parent, custodian, or guardian of a child subject to instruction with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity advance written notification of such instruction and of their right to exempt the child from participation; prohibit a public school and the county board employees assigned to the school from knowingly giving false or misleading information to the parent, custodian, or guardian of a student regarding the student's gender identity or intention to transition to a gender that is different than the sex listed on a student's official birth certificate or certificate issued upon adoption if the certificate was issued at or near the time of the student's birth; require a public school employee to report a student's request for an accommodation that is intended to affirm the student's gender identity from a person employed by the public school to an administrator employed by the county board and assigned to the school; and require the administrator to report the student's request to the student's parent, custodian, or guardian.
No public school student may be required to participate in instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity, whether it is offered as part of a health education class or program or as part of any other class or program, if a parent, custodian, or guardian of the student objects in writing to such participation.
The purpose of this bill is to create a healthcare provider right to object to certain procedures act with definitions; defining treatments or patients that may be objected to; and providing right to file civil action for damages and injunctive relief and action by the Attorney General.
No healthcare provider, may be required to: (1) Perform, assist, or participate in medical procedures, treatments, counseling, prescriptions or surgeries related to sex reassignment or gender identity transitioning, where to do so would be contrary to the person's religious or conscientious objection, or (2) Accept a patient for purposes of medical procedures, treatments, counseling, prescriptions or surgeries related to sex reassignment or gender identity transitioning, where to do so would be contrary to the person's religious or conscientious objection.
The purpose of this bill is to establish the West Virginia Women's Bill of Rights.
Wherever used in West Virginia law, the word "gender" standing alone (as opposed to the phrase "gender identity") is hereby deleted and replaced with the word "sex," as defined herein.
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit, as a condition for eligibility to foster or adopt, by the West Virginia Department of Human Services, the requirement to affirm, accept, or support any government policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the parent's sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.
No current or prospective adoptive or foster parent (hereinafter sometimes "parent") shall [...] be required [...] to affirm, accept or support any government policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the parent’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.
The purpose of this bill is to limit the applicability of this article to certain practices by medical care providers.
In no event may [a cause of action for medical injury] be commenced more than 10 years after the date of medical injury. [...] The provisions of this article may not apply to the provision of services relating to [...] the provision of hormone therapy designed to change the gender attributes of a person.
The purpose of this bill is to codify a Parents' Bill of Rights.
No institution, agency, representative, or employee of any unit or instrumentality of government, whether local, state or federal, may permit or allow the exposure of a member of the opposite biological sex’s nudity, including any sexual organ, to a minor in a public place, including but not limited to any place on the premises of a public education institution, a bathroom, a shower room, a locker room or a changing room.
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the requiring of the performance or assistance of an irreversible gender reassignment surgery.
Nothing in this code [...] shall require that a physician perform an irreversible gender reassignment surgery or that any person be required to assist in the performance of an irreversible gender reassignment surgery if such physician or person, for any reason, medical or otherwise, does not wish to perform or assist in such surgery.
The purpose of this bill is to remove hormone therapy as a means of medical treatment for minors.
A physician may not provide irreversible gender reassignment surgery or gender altering medication to a person who is under 18 years of age.
The purpose of this bill is to remove hormone therapy as a means of medical treatment for minors.
A physician may not provide irreversible gender reassignment surgery or gender altering medication to a person who is under 18 years of age.
The purpose of this bill is to assign the use of bathrooms and multi-person common changing rooms by gender and to prohibit the usage of a designated room under this section by a person of the opposite sex, with exceptions for family members, rendering medical or other assistance; and to establish penalties for violations.
School requirements for multiple occupancy restroom or changing area. (a) A public school district or open-enrollment public charter school must rely upon a public school student's sex as identified on his or her original birth certificate issued at or near the time of his or her birth.
The purpose of this bill is to prevent discrimination at institutions of higher education at West Virginia post-secondary institutions.
A public institution of higher education must not make diversity training mandatory. [...] "Diversity training" means: [...] training [...] to recognize or understand [...] transphobia, homophobia, heteronormativity, racial or sexual privilege, social justice, intersectionality, neo-pronouns, inclusive language, gender identity, gender theory, or related formulations of these concepts.
Recognizing Transgenderism as a mental disorder and affirming the biological reality of two genders.
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit a public school student from being required to participate in instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity if a parent, custodian, or guardian of the student objects in writing; require each public school to afford the parent, custodian, or guardian of a child subject to instruction with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity advance written notification of such instruction and of their right to exempt the child from participation; prohibit a public school and the county board employees assigned to the school from knowingly giving false or misleading information to the parent, custodian, or guardian of a student regarding the student's gender identity or intention to transition to a gender that is different than the sex listed on a student's official birth certificate or certificate issued upon adoption if the certificate was issued at or near the time of the student's birth; require a public school employee to report a student's request for an accommodation that is intended to affirm the student's gender identity from a person employed by the public school to an administrator employed by the county board and assigned to the school; and require the administrator to report the student's request to the student's parent, custodian, or guardian.
No public school student may be required to participate in instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity, whether it is offered as part of a health education class or program or as part of any other class or program, if a parent, custodian, or guardian of the student objects in writing to such participation.
The purpose of this bill is to provide definitions, to prohibit public funding of drag shows in West Virginia, and to prohibit minors from being involved in or attending drag shows.
No funds from governmental entities in West Virginia may be used for organizing, promoting, or hosting drag shows for any reason.
The purpose of this bill is to establish the West Virginia Women's Bill of Rights.
Wherever used in West Virginia law, the word "gender" standing alone (as opposed to the phrase "gender identity") is hereby deleted and replaced with the word "sex," as defined herein.
The purpose of this bill is to make it a criminal offense for a person to engage in an adult cabaret performance where it may be viewed by a minor
"Adult cabaret performance" means a performance in a location other than an adult cabaret that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to the prurient interest
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit obscene materials in West Virginia schools.
For the purposes of any prohibition, protection, or requirement under any and all articles and sections of the Code of West Virginia protecting children from exposure to indecent displays of a sexually explicit nature, such prohibited displays shall include, but not be limited to, any transvestite and/or transgender exposure, performances, or display to any minor.
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit gender transition surgeries, treatments, and therapies to minors. The bill establishes penalties for practitioners in violation of regulations. The bill safeguards the mental and physical health of minors. The bill prohibits political subdivisions from enacting conflicting policies. The bill creates whistleblower protection. Finally, the bill prohibits taxpayer subsidization of gender transition treatments.
It is unlawful for any medical professional, mental health care professional, or counselor to engage in any of the following practices [...] to facilitate the minor's desire to present or appear in a manner that is inconsistent with the minor's biological sex: (1) Performing surgeries [...] (3) Prescribing or administering testosterone, estrogen, or progesterone [...] (4) Prescribing or administering a hormone or hormone blocker [...] (5) Augmentation mammoplasty [...] and subcutaneous mastectomy [...] (6) Administering or supplying [...] puberty-blocking medication
The purpose of this bill is to update the state's regulation of pubertal modulation and hormonal therapy to better protect the health and safety of minors in light of recent scientific developments that further demonstrate the harm of these drugs and surgeries on minors. The bill also applies the enumerated prohibitions to physician assistants and advance practice registered nurses.
A physician assistant may not assist in providing gender reassignment surgery or provide gender altering medication to a person who is under 18 years of age.
The purpose of this bill is to establish the Restoring Sanity Act; prohibit a school district, a public charter school, the West Virginia Board of Education, the West Virginia Department of Education, or any employee of the aforementioned entities from providing instruction in, requiring instruction in, making part of a course, or requiring a statement or affirmation by any employee certain concepts; prohibit a state institution of higher education and an employee of a state institution of higher education from requiring a student or employee to take instruction in, or include in the curriculum of any required course, or require a statement or affirmation by any student or employee that certain concepts are factual and accurate or must be held as a belief of the student or employee; provide that county board and public charter school employees are not required to use student's preferred pronoun when referring to the student if the preferred pronoun is not consistent with the student's biological sex; prohibit a state institution of higher education from establishing, sustaining, supporting, or staffing a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer or office; and declare the policy of the state that the administrations of state institutions of higher education, and their administrative units, be officially neutral with regard to certain widely contested opinions.
County board and public charter school employees are not [...] required to use a student’s preferred pronoun when referring to the student if the preferred pronoun is not consistent with the student’s biological sex;
The purpose of this bill is to protect minors from indecent displays of a sexually explicit nature, including but not limited to, transvestite and/or transgender performances or displays to minors.
For the purposes of any prohibition, protection, or requirement under any and all articles and sections of the Code of West Virginia protecting children from exposure to indecent displays of a sexually explicit nature, such prohibited displays shall include, but not be limited to, any transvestite and/or transgender exposure, performances, or display to any minor.
The purpose of this bill is to define and preserve single-sex spaces in this state.
Common sex-based words have endangered women's rights and resources and have put the existence of private, single-sex spaces in jeopardy, thereby necessitating clarification of certain terms used in this code. [...] Personal privacy is a natural instinct rooted in biological realities, including the facts that males alone have the biological capability to impregnate women and that males are, on average, physically larger and stronger than women. The state should protect spaces where women have been traditionally afforded privacy and safety from acts of abuse, harassment, sexual assault, and violence committed by men, just as the state should protect women and girls' natural desire to avoid exposing their bodies to males with whom they have limited, if any, relationships.
The purpose of this bill is to eliminate divisions, officers, programs, trainings, and policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion from all departments, divisions, agencies, boards, public primary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education.
County board and public charter school employees shall not be [...] required to use a student’s preferred pronoun when referring to the student if the preferred pronoun is not consistent with the student’s sex;
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit drag shows from being performed in front of minors and to prohibit drags shows in schools and libraries.
"Adult-oriented business" means an adult arcade, an adult bookstore or video store, an adult cabaret, an adult live entertainment establishment, an adult motion picture theater, an adult theater, a massage establishment that offers adult services, an escort agency, a nude model studio, or a drag performance;