November 2021 Updates to Equality Maps

MAP's interactive LGBTQ Equality Maps provide a comprehensive look at the current state of laws and policies impacting LGBTQ people across the United States. The Equality Maps offer a state-by-state comparison of the policy landscape and gaps in protections for LGBTQ people across the country.

To keep you informed on this regularly changing landscape, here are the updates as of November 2021.

Important Updates in the States

Policy changes in the following states resulted in updates to two LGBTQ Equality Maps: Bans on Transgender Youth Participation in Sports and Identity Document Laws and Policies.

• Texas became the 10th state overall and the ninth this year to pass a harmful law that bans transgender students from participating in sports. This means that 23% of transgender youth in the U.S. live in a state with this kind of ban that keeps them from playing sports.
• Oklahoma issued its first nonbinary marker on a birth certificate. The Oklahoma State Department of Health also improved its process for changing gender markers on a birth certificate. While the nonbinary "X" option does not yet appear on OSDH's website, it's expected to be available soon. Once this option is available to the public, we will update our map to reflect this development. Note: the state's governor and legislature are both raising opposition to this development, including a forthcoming bill to prevent these nonbinary gender markers.
• In Michigan, the Secretary of State's office announced that a nonbinary "X" gender marker will be available on driver's licenses and state ID cards beginning November 10.
• In Mississippi, the State Department of Public Safety rescinded a days-old policy that would have simplified the process for changing the gender marker on driver's license by removing the requirement for an amended birth certificate.

Advances in Local Communities to Prohibit Discrimination

Local cities and communities continue to make advances in securing vital nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people.

Partial nondiscrimination ordinances were passed in:

• Wake County and Raleigh, North Carolina: employment and public accommodations only

Local-level bans on conversion "therapy" were passed in:

• Morgantown, West Virginia: the first in the county and 2nd in the state
• Prairie Village, Kansas

MAP Updates

ICYMI-MAP's New Initiative: The Democracy Maps

In partnership with One for Democracy, MAP released the Democracy Maps, which track more than 40 laws and policies around the country related to voting and elections. Similar to our Equality Maps, the Democracy Maps offer a roadmap to understand how states vary in terms of election policies, and what drives those differences.

A companion report, State of Democracy: How Election Laws Differ Around the Country, gives an overview of the Democracy Maps and shows that access to democracy varies dramatically by state and region of the country, with more than three in five voters living in states with sub-par Democracy Tally scores.

About MAP: MAP's mission is to provide independent and rigorous research, insight and communications that help speed equality and opportunity for all. MAP works to ensure that all people have a fair chance to pursue health and happiness, earn a living, take care of the ones they love, be safe in their communities, and participate in civic life. www.lgbtmap.org