Rating: Transsupportive, Erin in the Morning, October 12, 2023 (PDF archive) (HTML archive) (Take Action)
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Content Summary
Wisconsin Rep Neubauer: Anti-Trans Bills “Will Not Become Law,” Veto to Come
On Thursday, the Wisconsin Assembly passed three bills aimed at transgender individuals in the state. Two of these bills seek to ban transgender athletes from competing in sports in K-12 schools and colleges, and the third aims to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The debate on the assembly floor was intense; Republicans leaned heavily on long-debunked misinformation and openly derogatory remarks about transgender individuals to support their stance. However, despite their efforts, not a single Democratic representative was swayed, and the bills failed to achieve the vote margin necessary to override the forthcoming veto from Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer stated publicly, “These bills will not become law.”
The initial bills presented, Assembly Bills 377 and 378, which aim to exclude transgender individuals from sports, faced significant opposition from Democrats. Democratic Representative Jodi Emerson highlighted that not one Wisconsin athlete testified to the need for this legislation, even after over 12 hours of testimony — the vast majority of people testifying opposed the bills. In response, Republican Representative Nik Rettinger bafflingly suggested that “an increase in injuries” might be attributed to transgender individuals, despite evidence indicating only 6 known transgender athletes currently competing in the state.
One Republican, Representative Jerry O’Connor, took particular offense to being called hateful, stating that Democrats and trans people were “bullying” Republicans for supporting legislation like this. It is important to note that there have been over 500 anti-trans bills in the last year, with many targeting transgender youth. Some of these bills explicitly legalize bullying behavior by other students, such as deliberately calling a trans peer by their old name and pronouns. It is likewise worth mentioning that 61% of transgender kids report being bullied in school.
Ultimately, the bills passed 63-35 along party lines, with not a single Democrat voting for the bills. This is short of the votes needed to overturn a veto that has been promised by Governor Evers.
Following the passage of these bills, the Assembly heard Assembly Bill 465, a bill banning gender affirming care for transgender youth in opposition to unanimous agreement by medical organizations and scientific consensus. The first representative to speak on the bill was Democratic Representative Melissa Ratcliff, who has a transgender kid. In a heartfelt speech, she stated, “My son is transgender,” as she proceeded to tell her son’s moving story. Speaking to the legislation, she closed by saying, “[you’re] using children as pawns in your political game. It’s sad. It’s mean. It’s bullying kids.” Assembly Democrats erupted in applause following her words.
See her speech here:
Republicans responded to her remarks with disdain and unfounded claims regarding care. Representative Robin Vos asserted that “three-year-olds” were being “mutilated,” a statement entirely lacking in factual basis. Gender-affirming medical care typically commences with puberty blockers, which are administered, as the name implies, after the onset of puberty. Hormone therapy is generally introduced later in a transgender person’s teenage years, and surgical interventions are exceptionally rare, with many states unable to cite a single instance involving transgender youth.
Representative Wichgers, another Republican, advocated for bans affecting those up to 25-30 years old, mirroring similar legislation proposed in several states this year. Representative Tusler, also from the Republican party, labeled gender-affirming care as “child abuse.” Notably, Texas faced controversy in 2022 when it investigated parents of transgender youth for child abuse, even coming close to removing their children, until the state’s supreme court intervened. Republican Representative Brandtjen erroneously described gender-affirming vaginoplasty as “an open wound with hair,” a statement that has no grounding in fact. She concluded by asserting, “we never hear about the detransitioners,” despite subsequently mentioning Chloe Cole, one of the dozen or so political detransitioners frequently showcased from one state to another to bolster anti-trans legislation. Notably, Wisconsin Republicans were unable to present even one detransitioner from within the state to speak in support of these bills.
Democrats pushed back heavily. Representative Robyn Vining remarked, “These bills were hatched by people who aren’t even Wisconsinites.” She pointed to leaked emails from an anti-trans working group, highlighting their scramble to answer why gender-affirming care seemed to diminish suicide rates. Addressing Republicans’ frequent misinterpretation of research, notably a Swedish study that is often erroneously cited as claiming “transition makes people more suicidal,” Representative Snodgrass voiced exasperation: “If I have to hear one more person talk about a Danish, Swedish study when we have all of these studies from our country [supporting gender affirming care]…”
The bill went on to pass by the same 63-35 margin to the transgender sports bans. Governor Evers, when standing with those testifying against the bills, promised a veto. Representative Greta Neubauer confirmed this expectation still holds true, stating, “these bills will not become law.”
Despite being only a few votes shy of a veto proof majority, Republicans failed to convince Democrats to vote against transgender people. This stands in stark contrast to a state like Kansas, where Democratic Representative Marvin Robinson cast the deciding vote for anti-trans bills in the state, leading to many in the LGBTQ+ community feeling betrayed. Likewise in North Carolina, Representative Tricia Cotham left the party and joined the Republican Party, breaking anti-trans vetoes in that state as well.
The bill now advances to the Senate, where passage also seems likely. Upon approval, it will be presented to Governor Evers for his signature, where he is anticipated to veto it. If the final vote counts remain unchanged, Representative Neubauer’s assertion will ring true: the massive opposition to anti-trans legislation in Wisconsin will have effectively halted this legislation in its tracks.
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