LGBTQ Equality Maps Updates for September 2022

MAP's Equality Maps provide a detailed snapshot of the current state of LGBTQ laws and policies in the United States. In this regularly changing landscape, these are the state and local policy updates as of September 2022.

MAP Policy Research Updates

The Senate is now expected to take up the Respect for Marriage Act after the November election. As you're planning coverage, please see MAP's report and note the following:

• 25 states have both statutes and constitutional amendments limiting the ability of same-sex couples to marry.
• 15 states, the District of Columbia, and all five U.S. territories have no statutes or constitutional amendments prohibiting marriage between people of the same sex.

Underneath Obergefellexplores the patchwork of state-level marriage laws around the country. The report highlights the fact that a majority of states still have existing laws on the books that would ban marriage for same-sex couples - even though those laws are currently unenforceable under the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell.

Read more at the press release here or view the full report here.

State Policy Updates

(The links in the policy updates below take you to either the Equality Map for an issue or the Equality Profile for a state.)

Identity document laws and policies

In a new District Court ruling, the Montana health department has been ordered to reinstate its previous process for updating birth certificates, which only requires documentation in an affidavit and a gender designation form.

For more background on this story from 2017 until now, read our blog post here.

State-level conversion "therapy" bans

The governor of?Pennsylvania?issued an executive order partially restricting the practice of conversion "therapy." The order prohibits the use of state funds for the practice and contains other prohibitions and directives.?Read more here.

Transgender youth sports participation bans

A judge issued a?preliminary injunction?temporarily blocking enforcement of Utah's?ban on transgender students playing sports, in a case brought by ACLU of Utah and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

18 states ban transgender students from participating in school sports.

Local Policy Updates

Local-level conversion "therapy" bans

No new local-level conversion "therapy" bans were passed last month; however, see below for updates about existing policies:

• Florida: Unfortunately, several jurisdictions - Broward County, Palm Beach County, and the city of Boca Raton - have repealed their local-level bans on conversion "therapy."

  This follows July's decision by?the 11th?U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to effectively?leave in place?an earlier 2020 ruling that makes the bans unenforceable in that circuit, i.e., Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

While conversion "therapy" is illegal in 20 states and D.C., more than half of the LGBTQ population lives in a state without a full ban in place. An increasing number of jurisdictions, however, have local ordinances prohibiting the practice.

Note: MAP also has data available on the number of new ordinances year by year.

To schedule an interview with a MAP researcher or for questions, please contact Rebecca Farmer at rebecca@mapresearch.org.

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.mapresearch.org