Arizona governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a harmful anti-trans bathroom bill.
Over the last few years, Republican lawmakers have ruthlessly targeted the rights of trans individuals.
Since the start of 2023, over 400 anti-trans bills have been introduced across 48 states.
According to American Civil Liberties Union, Arkansas, West Virginia, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho have already passed laws banning trans people from life-saving health care, sports participation, and using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity.
Fortunately, some political officials have used their power to fight back against the rise of anti-trans rhetoric and legislation.
On 9 June, Arizona’s governor Katie Hobbs announced her veto of Senate Bill 1041 – which aimed to ban trans youth from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
The archaic bill also would have granted cisgender students the right to sue schools for “psychological, emotional, and physical harm” if they shared a bathroom with a trans person.
In a brief statement, Hobbs slammed conservative lawmakers for creating a bill that would harm trans youth.
“SB1040 is yet another discriminatory act against LGBTQ+ youth by the majority at the state legislature,” she exclaimed. “I will veto every bill that aims to attack and harm children.”
Shortly after the news was announced, the state director of Human Rights Campaign Arizona, Bridget Sharpe, released a statement praising Hobbs for her inclusive veto.
“Schools should be safe and welcoming places for all students. We sincerely thank Gov Hobbs for rejecting SB 1040 – a shameful bill designed to alienate and stigmatize trans school personnel and kids simile trying to navigate childhood and their adolescence,” she said.
“This discriminatory bill never should have reached the governor’s desk, and we thank Gov. Hobbs for vetoing it.”
Hobbs’ recent veto comes a few weeks after she threw out another anti-trans bill – SB1001 – which would have barred school officials and teachers from addressing trans and non-binary students by their preferred pronouns.
“As politicians across the country continue to pass harmful legislation directed at transgender youth, I have a clear message to the people of Arizona: I will veto every bill that aims to attack and harm children,” she wrote in her veto letter on 19 May.
“I want to thank the young people that bravely testified against SB1001 at the Legislature. To you, I promise to be an ally and to uplift your stories.”
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