The Call is Coming from Inside the House!!
Responsible Reporting on anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
Happy Tuesday, beautiful people.
I’m starting to see the expecting annual pickup of “sky is falling” articles and social media posts about anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being proposed for the 2026 legislative sessions around the country, and I really want to spend some time today talking about how to recognize and respond to the fearmongering that comes from within our own community.
This is the time of year when a lot of legislative bodies enter what’s called prefiling or a time of year where they are giving us a preview of the legislation they’re hoping to work on in their coming session. Not every state runs in the same way, and I’m not an expert in all state-level politics, but what I do know is that over the next 3 months most states are going to start up their legislative sessions and the gloom and doom headline craze is going to pick up again, hardcore.
For a fantastic review of what pre-filing is, check out this great video by some of my favorite champions for change over at PROMO Missouri!
Don’t have a ton of time to read today’s article? Here’s the quick takeaway:
Be cautious of articles about anti-lgbtq legislation that lean hard into fearmongering. Focus on receiving information from your state-level LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations and from the people who are actually on the ground doing the work. Through them, you may be able to find out which bills they are actually concerned about and what is being done to fight against them. They often have decades of experience working within the specific context of your state and its representatives and its legal systems, and will share actions you can take to make a difference.
It’s around this time of year that I see two trends come up consistently that I expect to see to again.
THE TRENDS:
1. “They’re shattering the record!”
On some levels, yes, every year seems to be bringing with it an increased number of bills targeting the queer community and this is stressful, frightening, frustrating, all the bad things. I don’t like these bills.
And sometimes the number of bills being reported on are being done in a way that I feel is disingenuous. Not noting, for example, high numbers of duplicate bills being counted individually, or measuring bills with no path to passage as having the same threat level as a bill we truly need to show up to fight.
I know this may not be charitable, but I also can’t help but notice a bit of competition between LGBTQ organizations that work to track anti-LGBT legislation. Whoever is tracking the highest number of bills is the one that gets cited by the major media outlets, which is worth a whole lot when visibility determines whether you hit your fundraising goals.
To be clear: do I think that these organizations and individuals are maliciously trying to hurt our community for their own financial gain? Absolutely not. But do I think that these organizations are built up of humans who, like the rest of us, have fears and bills and a survival instinct that may lead them to make decisions with negative consequences? Yes.
Key takeaway: For most of us normal people who aren’t leading major movement strategy, it doesn’t actually matter whether or not they’re breaking the record, and the overwhelming volume of these headlines are needlessly disheartening and defeating. I can tell you right now that we need deep canvassing and conversational work to change public opinion and that we need people fighting in every hall of power to block and reduce the harm of this legislation. The work is the work, and the sheer number won’t change that.
2. “Inside the new plan to destroy trans rights!”
One of the other trends that I notice among our own organizations and journalists is reporting on bills as if they’ve already been passed and enacted in their worst possible form.
When a bill is proposed, it will often go through multiple rounds of revisions, hearings, negotiations, debates, votes, vetoes, and lawsuits, which are all opportunities for advocates to reduce the harm of that bill before it finally goes into effect and we understand the impact it’s going to actually have on the community.
It’s very important that we show up for all those steps in the middle to try to minimize the harm as much as possible. When we report on anti LGBTQ legislation as if it has already been enacted, we build fear and we build defeat. We don’t bother telling people that there’s a part of the process in which they could intervene. We simply say “here it comes. Brace yourself. Run away. Be afraid.”
This type of reporting not only impacts our resilience, but genuinely encourages people not to show up because the feeling is it’s already too late. The only harm reduction we can do is getting out of here, which, unfortunately, is the thing most likely to actually make the worst case scenario of that bill pass.
Key Takeaway: On a state level, it is generally not the time of year when bills are being passed, and you should be incredibly wary of articles about proposed legislation or articles that lean heavily on worst-case hypotheticals. Look to your state-level advocacy organization to understand current threats, risks, and bill passages, and focus on SHOWING UP! If there’s no visible resistance, there will be no need to come to a negotiating table.
Why does it matter so much?
1. It matters because the kids are watching! Kids who have not yet learned how to determine which articles are real, which institutions are worthy of trust, how to identify fearmongering. Kids that may not know they’re allowed to request that these reporting organizations do better. All they know is they scroll on social media and see an article with 25,000 likes that says that Missouri is making it illegal to be transgender in school even if your parents are supportive. And then we ask why rates of depression are so bad. Of course, a proposed bill like this is terrible on its own, but do we think it’s going to be better by telling the kids it’s already happening?
2. Depression and overwhelm are well known tools of our opposition. They want you feeling as defeated as possible. They want you feeling like you have to stay so “informed” that all you can do is sit on the couch and cry about how everything is terrible. Being intentional means taking back your power to be able to actually DO something! Media hygiene is a critical piece of making us all resilient enough that we can show up to make victories more likely.
3. Another great resilience muscle that we need to build up on ourselves is our critical analysis. Not just looking at the headline, taking it at face value, and freaking out, but spending time thinking about what this headline is telling us, what the real threats are, and what next steps we can take, if any.
What’s the Point of Fighting Back?
But Ben, we can’t make the Republicans respect us. They hate us. They have a supermajority. They have all this funding. Insert xyz reason why it’s time to give up here.
I hear you, friend. It’s so tempting to feel that way. Doom provides an incredible source of comfort. Doom tells us you don’t have to work anymore. It’s over. Just enjoy the time you have before everything burns.
While it’s seen as obviously unhelpful or toxically positivity to say, “don’t worry. Everything is going to be completely fine!” because we know that certainty isn’t attainable, I wish it were more understood as equally unacceptable to say, “don’t worry. Every single thing will only become worse and more horrible.” That level of certainty is equally unattainable, but we cling to it because it lets us off the hook for trying to fix anything.
But it is not anywhere near time to give up, wherever in the world you are.
Look at just a few examples of how hard our advocates worked this year:
· In Missouri, PROMO has tracked 313 anti-LGBTQ+ bills from 2015-2025. Only FOUR have passed thanks to the tireless work of local advocates.
· In Florida this year, advocates defeated every single anti LGBTQ bill, beating their record from 2024 of defeating 21/22 proposed bills.
Now What?
If you’re looking for a deeper dive on how to build up a more intentional media engagement strategy, and how to know who to trust, I highly recommend you check out this piece I put out a few weeks ago:
Or perhaps you’re feeling energized. Legislative session is coming up, and you’re eager to get more involved but aren’t sure where to start. If so, I highly recommend you check out this article:
I know it’s frightening. I know it’s exhausting. I wish it didn’t have to be a fight, and we can and must do what we can to balance this hard work with building ease and rest in our lives, to continue to restore ourselves, to push forward another day. Keep at it, my friends. Be kind to yourselves.
And remember, there is no such thing as the right person at the right time. There is only you now. There are so many things that need doing, and you cannot do all of them. But we should try our best to do some of them.
That’s all from me until next time. I love you, and I’m proud of you, and hang in there.
Ben.
I’m in the middle, but I chose to attempt a balance between paying attention to legislation and the general “temperature”, and being a parent and ally. Like Ben, I do not suggest following every legislative detail unless you are well-prepared to do so - or need to for work or volunteering. And then take proactive self care and breaks!
And I agree that it is best practices for writers to make it clear in what stage a bill is at, so readers can decide to skip reading an initial bill (introduced) if they like.
I read Ben. I read Erin. I follow many queer writers, reporters, outlets, orgs, bloggers, and artists. plus lawyers, news, culture, etc. Each has their own style and tone. (And there are an overwhelming number of independent sources and organizations at this point. Consolidation, anyone?)
Some folks may wish to only engage when a law is passed, and figure out what to do. Whether in at the beginning, middle, or end, minding one’s well-being and that of your family and friends is important.
And, as devil’s advocate, I will also add that I find over-glowing positivity equally irksome. As Ben says, there is a reality to be faced here. And even if “only” 4 anti-trans laws are passed after a hundred or so are introduced during any one state’s legislative session, the scope and intention of some of the bills being passed into law this year - after years of anti-equality erosion - are especially painful.
I don’t have an answer. I think, as I do about most things now at the ripe age of 60+, that the answer is on a spectrum, individually made, according to the circumstances and purpose of the moment. I actually like knowing what men and women of a certain ilk are pre-filing - it gives me a heads-up as to potential themes and through lines coming up in legislatures - but, as Ben says, this is hardly a hobby most folks need to take up.
These are tremendously difficult times. We don’t need doom and gloom, for sure. We do need to understand what is happening and how we may be and are affected.
Wonderful advice, thank you 🙏