CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Democratic lawmakers in 18 states are following California’s lead in seeking to offer legal refuge to displaced transgender youth and their families.
The coordinated effort being announced Tuesday by the LGBTQ Victory Institute and other advocates comes in response to conservative states like Texas, where state agencies have been told to consider placing transgender children in foster care.
Lawmakers in both Minnesota and New York recently filed refuge state legislation modeled after a California bill proposed in March, and lawmakers in 16 other states plan to do the same.
Also joining the effort are LGBTQ lawmakers in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
They say they want to be proactive and show transgender children that someone is standing up for them.
