2024 had more anti-trans bills in legislation than any year before. But fewer passed into law.

Transgender legislation trackers have universally noted that 2024 has seen the most radical increase in the total number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills. However, this year has also seen fewer anti-LGBTQ+ bills actually pass into law.

The Trans Legislation Tracker reports that 617 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been in consideration this year across 43 states, with 225 having failed and 348 active. However, only 44 total bills are reported to have been enacted into law.

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The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is being called a laughable “authoritarian fantasy”.

The American Civil Liberties Union reports similar data—they say that 517 bills have been introduced, 340 defeated, and 39 passed into law. Journalist Erin Reed’s legislation tracker reports 760 total bills in consideration, with 565 failing and only 53 brought into law.

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According to all the trackers, the total number of bills that were in consideration in 2024 increased significantly from the previous year. About 800 total bills are being tracked across the different trackers, each using somewhat different inclusion criteria. Last year, Trans Legislation Tracker reported 607 bills in consideration, the ACLU 510, and Erin Reed’s team 540.

These laws range from sweeping bans on gender-affirming care for minors to restrictions on what LGBTQ+ content can be discussed with minors to those that define trans people out of the law.

This reflects growing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment among right-wing political operators in the country. Nationwide, anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes have dramatically increased, with the total rates quadrupling in states that have more anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Project 2025, a plan by the influential, right-wing Heritage Foundation to enact conservative policy should Donald Trump be elected, has support among politicians.

However, the data also reflects how the public does not support these laws.

More anti-trans bills passed last year than this year. Trans Legislation Tracker reports that 86 passed last year, in comparison to 44 this year. The ACLU reports that 84 passed into law last year and 39 this year. Erin Reed’s team reports that 81 were passed last year in comparison to 53 this year.

The Erin Reed tracker also reports that more pro-LGBTQ+ bills were passed into law this year than were anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Fifty-seven pro-LGBTQ+ bills out of a total of 616 were enacted, an increase in both counts from last year.

The data is unlikely to change from now until the rest of the year, as most state legislative sessions across the country have been brought to a close, with the majority of these bills failing to pass. Those that remain are likely to be rollovers, a type of bill that continues from one year into the next before being debated.

Lawmakers are more keen to fight these bills when they’re introduced, reflecting the broader views of their constituents. An NORC poll conducted in collaboration with the Los Angeles Times found that 77% of adults believe “elected officials are mostly using debates over transgender and nonbinary people to distract attention from more pressing priorities.”

A Fox News poll found that only 1% of voters believe “Wokeness / Transgender issues” is the most important issue today, and a Pathfinder Opinion poll sent to GLAAD finds that anti-trans policies motivate 53% of voters to vote against the politician, with only 25% being motivated to vote for them.

Gillian Branstetter, an ACLU communications strategist, said in a statement, “The end goal of anti-trans legislation is denying transgender people the words to describe our experience, the means to express it safely, and the community and support we all deserve.”

Conflict of Interest disclosure – the author of this article works with Erin Reed on the 2024 legislation tracker.

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