The Nebraska Legislature kicks off its new session a few weeks from today and issues related to gender identity are likely to be part of the mix.

LGBTQ+ advocates said they are in familiar territory, trying to establish a voice in the debate. Last year, a Nebraska bill to ban transgender students from playing school sports consistent with their gender identity narrowly failed. Republican Gov. Jim Pillen said he will try again this year.

Grant Friedman, legal fellow for the ACLU of Nebraska, said anyone opposed should try to set aside time with lawmakers to explain their concerns. From his perspective, Friedman argued policymakers should know other matters need attention.

"Getting folks to realize they're there to make Nebraska a better place for everyone and focus on the issues that need to be dealt with," Friedman urged. "Not kind of these 'fringe' issues that are being blown out of proportion across the country."

With Nebraska's budget on shaky ground and the need to address affordable housing gaps, he said advocates can pinpoint a number of topics they want lawmakers to look at instead. Polls show most Americans oppose transgender restrictions but Republicans' recent campaign messages have found some captive audiences. Backers of the bills said their mission is to protect students and families.

The ACLU is part of a coalition including OutNebraska, serving as a guide for LGBTQ+ individuals navigating a divisive political environment. Friedman emphasized local government is an avenue to push for protections if state and federal lawmakers are not showing a collective interest in advancing the rights of the LGBTQ+ population.

"The three areas in which you tend to see your city protections are going to be workplace, housing and public accommodations," Friedman outlined.

Friedman added they have found some allies among faith leaders willing to push for unity as marginalized communities fall under the political spotlight. Groups like the Trevor Project said bills deemed hostile toward LGBTQ+ populations can have a damaging effect on the mental health of community members.

Anyone who uses a cell phone or laptop shares hundreds of personal data points, and a New Mexico advocacy group wants that information better protected.

Nathan Saavedra, programs manager for Equality New Mexico, said personal information such as gender, marital status, household income and educational level are catalogued by tech organizations and data brokers.

"We see data privacy as the primary gap that exists, especially in New Mexico, for protecting all people," he said. "And this is especially true for LGBTQ folks, women or anyone who is seeking reproductive or gender-affirming health care, immigrants, political dissidents."

Two privacy bills introduced in New Mexico's legislative session this year - the Community Safety and Privacy Act and the Patient Records Privacy Act - failed to pass. Saavedra said he believes when it comes to sharing data, consumers should always have the ability to "opt-in" rather than "opt-out," which assumes consent for data gathering unless users actively decline.

Saavedra admitted that the term "data privacy" can be confusing, but he said the current political climate makes it important to understand because hostile agencies can use information to discriminate, harass and persecute people. He noted that at President Donald Trump's inauguration last year, the most exclusive seats were reserved for powerful tech CEOs, who also are among the world's richest men.

Saavedra said he sees it as a sign the Trump administration won't prioritize confidentiality.

"So, we see data privacy and the information that is viewable by these data brokers or any organization or even an individual who wishes to purchase or find this data is a main priority for protecting vulnerable New Mexicans," he said.

He added that Equality New Mexico will continue to push lawmakers to pass new data privacy laws.

A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found 71% of Americans were worried about government use of people's data. Additionally, 67% said they understand little to nothing about what companies are doing with their personal data.

By Vanessa Davidson / Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State NewsLab-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

Ohio’s House Bill 8, known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” will take effect April 9.

The bill was signed into law in January. It requires K-12 public schools to adopt a policy for parents to be notified by their child’s school if they have “any substantial change in the student's services, including counseling services,” or in their “mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.”

This includes any request by the student to “identify as a gender that does not align with the student's biological sex,” meaning if they are not already out to their parents, schools will be required to do it for them.

Advocates for LGBTQ+ youth worry the bill will cause unnecessary anxiety for students.

“It’s part of such a long string of attacks against [queer and trans students’] identities and their very right to exist,” said Mallory Golski, civic engagement and advocacy manager at Kaleidoscope Youth Center. She says young people are considering leaving the state because, “while this legislation just targets K-12 schools right now, they know it’s only a matter of time until their lives are impacted beyond that.”

And educators worry that the bill will cause conflicts between district guidelines and state law.

“It really puts counselors and other people in this rock and a hard place position because it’s so absolutist,” said Carrie Frederick, a school counselor at East Columbus High School.

The bill says parents have “a fundamental right” to make decisions about their children in schools.

Ohio State Rep. D. J. Swearingen, one of the two primary sponsors of the bill, said in a press release, “I’m grateful to see the Parents’ Bill of Rights officially cross the finish line. This critical legislation will ensure parents have a voice when it comes to the health and wellbeing of their children.”

Swearingen, former State Rep. Sara Carruthers, the other primary sponsor of the bill, and others who testified for the bill did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Educator concerned about supporting queer students

Frederick said he worries about how the bill will affect students’ coming out processes.

“I definitely know there are students out there that are going to have a lot of anxiety, even if maybe they don’t need to,” Frederick said. “They don’t know that.”

Frederick said school counselors help students navigate the uncertainty of how parents might react to their coming out. Counselors can walk students through the typical process, which starts with coming out to one or two people a child is close with, then a small friend group and, finally, adults they trust.

“The vast majority, they would like to come out to their parents as part of that process, but they’re not always going to be ready the first day,” Frederick said. “We miss that opportunity, if the immediate reaction is, ‘I have to tell your parents right now,’ then now, we’ve broken that student’s trust.”

Frederick said his district’s ethical standards say that part of supporting students is not outing them to anyone they do not want to be outed to. After H.B. 8 takes effect, those guidelines are now in direct conflict with state law, he said.

Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, said his organization is working in collaboration with the Ohio School Counselor Association to analyze the law and give their members the best guidance they can to adhere to the law and still fulfill their responsibilities as educators.

But, he said the definitions in the bill are vague, and a lot of it is open to interpretation.

“Does an offhanded comment by a student that’s made to another student but overheard by a teacher, does that rise to the level where a teacher needs to call the parent?” he said. “That’s one of the big concerns that we had about the bill is that the bill, in a lot of ways, creates more questions than answers.”

Ensuring students feel safe at school

DiMauro said the bill creates a sense of fear for both educators and students, as well as the concern that people are going to be looking over their shoulders, censoring themselves and limiting what they teach due to fear of a lawsuit or an adverse reaction from a parent.

A 2023 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that an estimated 40% of transgender and questioning students were bullied at school, and 69% of questioning students and 72% of transgender students experienced “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, a marker for experiencing depressive symptoms.”

“Allowing somebody to be themselves takes away that one aspect of their focus that day,” said Golski of the Kaleidoscope Youth Center. “By removing that one factor and knowing that, ‘Okay, when I go into this classroom, at least my teacher is going to accept me,’ that opens up their ability to focus on what they actually need to be focusing on in schools.”

Frederick said his plan after April 9 is to be as transparent as possible with his students, making sure they are aware of what information he has to share with their guardians before they tell him confidential information. But, the younger the student, the harder it will be for them to understand.

Golski said districts can comply with the law in gentle ways, too. She suggested that if a student discloses information about their sexual orientation for the first time, teachers or counselors might report it to a family member who may be more supportive than another, for instance.

“Teachers shouldn’t just jump to not supporting their queer and trans students at all,” she said.

She also said districts should be cautious before jumping to immediately creating an overly harsh policy, and that adults in schools should make sure it is widely known that they are supportive of queer and trans students.

DiMauro suggested joining the LGBTQ+ caucus at the national and state level, and in schools, putting up ‘I’m here’ safe stickers on windows or places students will see so they know they can trust teachers to be on their side.

“At the end of the day, it’s these young people’s lives, and they’re the ones who have to wake up every day and get ready for school knowing that they’re going to have to face this as an actual reality,” Golski said. “Legislators, by targeting queer and trans students with this legislation, are bullying students, and that is the real detraction from students’ ability to receive a quality education.”


This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.


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Today is the International Trans Day of Visibility, to recognize the contributions of transgender people in society -- and raise awareness of the discrimination they face worldwide.

More than 800 pieces of legislation targeting trans rights have been introduced across the nation this year alone, including eight in Washington state.

Jade Lenore Le Duff is the chief of staff with the Black and trans-led Lavender Rights Project. She said it's alarming that some politicians feel they have the power to "erase" trans people, and that it's critical to have a day that affirms trans identities.

"Especially for youth to see that, regardless of what's happening in our current political landscape, that we're still here," said Le Duff, "we're still advocating, we're still fighting."

Nearly a third of anti-trans bills nationwide target educational settings, while two bills in Olympia aim to strengthen queer and trans students' rights to privacy.

One would require a student's consent before sharing confidential medical and counseling documents. Another would amend the "Parents Right Initiative," adding a statement of students' rights.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order eliminating the federal recognition and protection of transgender and nonbinary people.

Le Duff said if you're wondering how to support trans and other gender-nonconforming people -- today and every day -- start by checking in with trans people you know, and acknowledging their experience.

"I would hope they would not only join in the fight for liberation," said Le Duff, "but also in some way, shape, or form, be visible in the same ways that we are."

Le Duff said she is concerned that trans people, who represent just 0.6% of the population, are being used as political scapegoats. But, she added, she still has hope for the future.

"Regardless of the attack, regardless of the willful ignorance, we've always forged a way forward," said Le Duff, "and we will again."