NC Republicans have been busy this week hearing and passing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation

North Carolina Republicans have been busy this week passing legislation aimed at making the lives of LGBTQ+ youth even more unnecessarily difficult than it already is for many in the community.

We have previously covered these bills, so here is a brief look back at each bill put forward by Republicans and what they will do if they become law:

• Senate Bill 631 and its House companion bill, HB 574, ban trans students from participating on an athletic team that aligns with their gender.
• Senate Bill 636 bans trans and intersex youth from participating in athletics at the middle and high school levels.
• Senate Bill 560 restricts gender-affirming care for minors and introduces unnecessary requirements for youth, families, and health care providers.
• Senate Bill 639 and House Bill 808 outlaw life-saving treatment for trans youth by making it illegal for health professionals to provide gender-affirming care.
• Senate Bill 641 allows medical providers to discriminate in providing health care to trans youth.

Here is the latest on each of these bills:

• Senate Bill 631 passed the Senate on April 20 and then passed the House on Wednesday and was sent back to the Senate on Thursday, where it is now in the Senate Rules Committee. The companion bill, HB 574, passed the House on Thursday and is headed to Gov. Roy Cooper for a possible veto.
• Senate Bill 636 passed the Senate on May 3 and passed the House on May 4. After passing in the House, it was sent to the House Rules Committee and hasn’t moved since then.
• Senate Bill 560 passed its first reading in the Senate on April 5 and was referred to the Senate Rules Committee and has not moved in more than two months.
• Senate Bill 639 passed its first reading on April 6 and it remains in the Senate Rules Committee. The House companion bill, HB 808 passed on May 3 and is currently in the Senate Rules Committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the bill on Thursday.
• In addition to these bills, the House passed Senate Bill 49, also known as the “Parents Bill of Rights,” on Wednesday and referred it to the House Rules Committee. This bill will require teachers to “out” LGBTQ students to their parents, WRAL reported.

As we all expected before the new legislative session began in January, instead of prioritizing the interests and rights of North Carolinians, state Republicans are passing targeted legislation that aims to erase the freedoms of LGBTQ+ North Carolinians.