• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

2

One of MacKenzie Scott's latest donations takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion

3

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch

1

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

2

One of MacKenzie Scott's latest donations takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion

3

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch

Pro-LGBTQ Laws Outpaced Anti-LGBTQ Laws Across the U.S. in 2018

By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 11, 2019, 12:16 PM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Despite efforts by the Trump administration and others to push anti-LGBTQ legislation, bills protecting LGBTQ rights outpaced them last year.

That’s according to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign, which found that 21 of the 201 pro-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures across the country were signed into law in 2018. Meanwhile, only two of 110 anti-LGBTQ bills got through. This marks a notable improvement from 2017, when 12 of 129 anti-LGBTQ bills passed.

A record number of states have adopted protections to ban the dangerous practice of “conversion therapy” and pass trans-inclusive policies.

Learn how your state rates in @HRC Foundation’s 2018 State Equality Index. #StateOfEquality https://t.co/5XNBZlpVJ8 pic.twitter.com/lGfMPKlD74

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) February 10, 2019

Among the bills offering protections to the LGBTQ community were a number of nondiscrimination efforts as well as bans on gay conversion therapy. Five state passed bans on gay conversion therapy for minors last year, and New York signed its own bill into law in January. Fifteen states and Washington D.C. now prohibit the practice.

Cathryn Oakley, the report’s co-author and HRC’s state legislative director told NBC News that the bans are becoming a “bit of a phenomenon,” made even more significant by the fact that as many as one-third were signed by Republican governors.

Oklahoma and Kansas are the states that passed the two anti-LGBTQ laws last year. They both enacted religious “license to discriminate” policies, which allow adoption and foster care agencies to refuse to place children with LGBTQ prospective parents.

Even with the passage of these two laws, the Human Rights Campaign expressed “cautious” optimism that state legislators are “hearing from their constituents and key stakeholders the message that LGBTQ equality is good for business.”

About the Author
By Natasha Bach
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.