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2023 has seen record numbers of anti-LGBTQ bills and we've had enough.

CenterLink News

CenterLink, May 09,2023

2023 has seen record numbers of anti-LGBTQ bills and we've had enough.  Image All News

For years, anti-LGBTQ bills have been on the ballot in statehouses around the country, but in 2023 the legislation - both in volume and appalling measures - has reached a fever pitch.

State lawmakers have introduced more anti-LGBTQ legislation this year than in the previous five years combined. With 470 anti-LGBTQ bills on state dockets, and 362 of them specifically attacking the transgender community, LGBTQ people are literally fighting for their lives.

These bills enforce discriminatory bathroom bans, censor drag shows or even make them illegal, stop transgender students from participating in sporting activities at school, force teachers to out students, eliminate school curriculum around LGBTQ and racial issues, attempt to allow states to put restrictions on same-sex marriages, erase LGBTQ people from schools and public life, and prevent transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming care or even force them to detransition. Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Dakota, Utah, Iowa, Indiana and Georgia have already passed laws denying transgender youth the medically necessary care they need, and other states are likely to follow.

CenterLink’s member centers have always and will continue to provide vital resources for their communities. LGBTQ centers remain a place where people can go for a wide range of critical, life-saving services. These centers collectively serve over 51,800 people each week, or nearly

2.7 million people per year. Nearly all LGBTQ centers engage in advocacy, public policy, and civic engagement across a wide variety of issues affecting the LGBTQ community. And despite almost three quarters of centers having experienced anti-LGBTQ threats or harassment over the past two years, the community of LGBTQ centers has remained stalwart in their missions.

CenterLink and its extensive network of member centers are stepping up to create a powerful, united front to push back against the wave of hateful legislation targeting the LGBTQ community. We are calling on people across the country to get involved:

 

 

We, the undersigned centers, denounce the tidal wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation that lawmakers are hurling at our community. We continue to stand united as safe havens for LGBTQ people and as pillars against hate and discrimination. We will not relent until these attacks stop and LGBTQ people are treated fairly and equally under the law.

List of signatories:

CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers

1ENC PRIDE

Ace and Aro Alliance of Central Ohio

Affirmations

Akron AIDS Collaborative

All Under One Roof LGBT Advocates of Southeastern Idaho

Attic Youth Center

BAGLY (Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth)

Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice

Bergen County LGBTQ Alliance

Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center

Borderland Rainbow Center

Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Center

Brave Space Alliance

Brooklyn Community Pride Center

CAMP Rehoboth, Inc.

Capitol Area Reentry Program Inc.

Caribbean Equality Project

Caroline Pride, LLC

Center on Halsted

Central Valley Pride

Centre LGBT+

Centro Comunitario LGBTT de PR

Charlotte Trans Health

Coastal Bend Pride Center

CoastPride

Colors+

Community Awareness Network for a Drug-free Life and Environment

Compass LGBTQ Community Center

Covenant House of WV

Dallas Hope Charities

Delmarva Pride Center

Diversity Center of Oklahoma Inc

Diversity Collective Ventura County

Diversity Richmond

Eastern PA Trans Equity Project

Equality Community Center

Equitas Health

Fabulous Arts Foundation

FAIRNY (Fairness Alliance and Information Resources of New York Inc

Fem Alliance Uganda

Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center

GenderNexus

Grand Rapids Pride Center

Great Lakes Bay Pride

Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center

Harriet Hancock Center Foundation

Have A Gay Day

Health Equity Alliance for LGBTQ New Mexicans (HEAL Plus NM)

Henderson Equality Center

Hetrick-Martin Institute

High Impacto

Hot Springs Pride Alliance

Hudson Pride Center

Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation

I Am Human Foundation

Identity Health Clinic

inclusion tennessee

Indiana Youth Group (IYG)

Inside Out Youth Services

JASMYN, Inc.

Jim Toy Community Center

Kaleidoscope Youth Center

Knox Pride

Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition

Latino Equality Alliance

Lexington Pride Center

LGBT Center of Raleigh

LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin

LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland

LGBT Community Network

LGBT Detroit

LGBT Life Center

LGBT+ Center Orlando, Inc.

LGBT+ Family & Games

LGBTQ Center at UNF

LGBTQ Center OC

LGBTQ Center of the Cape Fear Coast

LGBTQ+ Center of Southern Nevada

LGBTQ+ Family Connections Centers Inc

LGBTQ+ Spectrum of Findlay

LGBTQ Support and Social Group USA

LIAM Foundation

Live Out Loud

Long Island LGBT Center

Los Angeles LGBT Center

Louisville Youth Group

LOVE ON A MISSION

LYRIC SF

Magic City Acceptance Center

Maven Youth

MiGen - Michigan LGBTQ+ Elders Network

Montgomery Pride United/ Bayard Rustin Community Center

Mountain Pride

Muncie OUTreach LGBTQ+ Center

Naper Pride Inc

Naples Pride

New York LGBT Network

North County LGBTQ Resource Center

North Shore Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth (NAGLY)

North Star LGBT Community Center

Oakland LGBTQ Community Center

Oasis Youth Center

Ogden Pride

Omaha ForUs

One In Long Beach, Inc. dba The LGBTQ Center Long Beach

One Iowa

one-n-ten

Open Table United Church of Christ

Our Family Coalition

Our Spot KC

Out Boulder County

Out in the Open

OUT Memphis

OUT MetroWest

Out On The Lakeshore

OutCenter Southwest Michigan

OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center

Outright Vermont

Pacific Center for Human Growth

Pacific Pride Foundation

Phoenix Center

Pittsburgh Equality Center

Planned Parenthood Keystone

Positive Images LGBTQIA+ Center

Positive Women’s Network Alabama

Power Safe Place Resource Center of Virginia

Pride Center of Staten Island

Pride Center of Terre Haute Inc.

Pride Center San Antonio

Pride Center West Texas

Pride Community and Education Center of the Tricities

Pride Community Center of North Central Florida

Pride Community Center, Inc (Brazos Valley, Texas)

Pride Link

Pridelines

Prism Counseling & Community Services

PRISM FL, Inc

Prism United

Project Pride SRQ

PWN Greater Houston

Q Center

Quad Citians Affirming Diversity (QCAD)

Queens LGBT Center

Queer Asterisk

Queer Works

Queermunity Collaborative

QUEERSPACE collective

Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa County

Rainbow Connections ATX, part of Family Eldercare

Rainbow Families DC

Rainbow Labs

Rainbow Pride Youth Aaliance

Rainbow Rose Center

Resource Center

Roanoke Diversity Center

Rockland County Pride Center

Sacramento LGBT Community Center

SAGE-Long Island

Sam & Devorah Foundation for Trans Youth

San Diego Pride

San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ+ Center

San Mateo County Pride Center

Seacoast Outright

Seattle's LGBTQ+ Center

SF LGBT Center

Shenandoah LGBTQ Center

Shoals Diversity Center

Side by Side

SMYAL

SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity

South Bay LGBTQ Center

Spencer Pride, Inc.

St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline

Stand with Trans

Stonewall Alliance of Chico

Stonewall Columbus, Inc

SunServe

Sussex Pride / TransLiance

Tasha's House

The Atlanta Pride Committee

The Center on Colfax, Denver, CO

The Center Project

The Center: 7 Rivers LGBTQ Connection

The Cortland LGBTQ Center

The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County

The Equality Crew

The Fresno Spectrum Center

The Gala Pride and Diversity Center

The LGBT Center of Greater Reading

The LGBTQ Center (South Bend, IN)

The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert

The LIAM Foundation

The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center

The New Haven Pride Center

The Pride Center at Equality Park

The Reunion Project

The SMART Ride

The Source LGBT+ Center

The Spahr Center

The Welcome Project PA / SAGA Community Center

Time Out Youth

Trans Families

Transformation Project

Transgender Awareness Alliance

Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico

Transgender Resource, Education and Enrichment Services-TREES, Inc.

Transinclusive Group

TransNewYork

Triangle Community Center

Uniting Pride of Champaign County

Unity House

Uplift Outreach Center

Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance (UGLA)

Us Giving Richmond Connections

Utah Pride Center

Washington County Gay Straight Alliance, Inc.

Waves Ahead Puerto Rico

We Are Family

Western Montana LGBTQ+ Community Center

William Way LGBT Community Center

Youth Oasis

Youth Outlook

Youth OUTright

Youth Pride, Inc.

Zebra Youth

 


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