Posts tagged with "montana"

Roam Beyond Interior via JW-PR for use by 360 MAGAZINE

ROAM BEYOND

ROAM Beyond Brews the Perfect Blend of Pints and Outdoor Adventures during Oktoberfest Adventure Camp

Adventure travelers offered summer camp vibes and Oktoberfest festivities at ROAM Beyond’s seasonal experience

ROAM Beyond introduces its first-ever Oktoberfest Adventure Camp (September 27 – October 1), offering adventure travelers an unforgettable seasonal experience. The unique, all-inclusive weekend combines the communal atmosphere, vibes, and new friendships of summer camp with the festivities and autumnal atmosphere of Oktoberfest.  that combines the new experiences. Guests are invited to join ROAM Beyond for a week of outdoor adventure, farm-to-table feasts, and new experiences with soon-to-be like-minded friends.

Travelers will enjoy scenic river floats, learning to fly fish, hiking in national forests, paddle boarding or kayaking in Glacier National Park, and reveling in the Oktoberfest celebrations at the Great Northwest Oktoberfest festival in Whitefish. At night, guests can expect the magical, meaningful moments that happen under starry skies, around crackling bonfires, all while enjoying evening beer tastings and too many s’mores.

“ROAM Beyond has created an incredible Oktoberfest experience, one that will perfectly compliment all of the festival activities in and around Whitefish celebrating the season,” said Corey Weathers, CEO and co-founder of ROAM Beyond. “We’ve blended our artisan, sustainable mobile dwellings that elevate the camping experience with opportunities for our guests to enjoy, unplug, and connect with nature.”

Guests can expect farm-to-table feasts, crafted cocktails, local brewery nights, and gourmet burgers. Accommodations include comfortable roaming cabins with down comforters, kitchenettes, and private bathrooms. ROAM Beyond’s Oktoberfest Adventure Camp, which can be booked at HERE, includes:

  • Elevated Accommodation – Start and end your day in a private roaming cabin at ROAM Beyond Glacier, a classic 20-acre Montana estate with panoramic mountain views that are yours to explore. 
  • Big Adventures – Plan for new adventures suitable for all ages and skill levels, including scenic river floats, fly fishing, paddleboarding, kayaking, guided hiking, or mountain biking
  • Oktoberfest in Whitefish – Dive into the festivities of the Great Northwest Oktoberfest celebration in Whitefish, featuring German food, music, dancing, food trucks, artists, and—of course—plenty of beer!
  • Classic Camp Activities – It wouldn’t be camp without communal bonfires, goofy talent shows, and polar plunges. Count on opportunities to let loose and reconnect.
  • Epic Meals – Farm-to-table feasts, curated cocktails, gourmet burger nights, local brews, and damn good wine. We’ll also ensure you get your day started with tasty breakfast items and packable lunches.
  • Convenient Transportation – Let us take care of getting you to and from your daily adventures with transportation provided for each off-site activity. Includes roundtrip transfers to Glacier International Airport on Tuesday and Saturday.

ROAM Beyond’s Oktoberfest Adventure Camp experience includes:

  • 4-nights accommodation at ROAM Beyond Glacier in your choice of dinette (sleeps 1-3) or bunk cabin (sleeps 1-4)
  • All meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinners for the entirety of your stay
  • Gear, guides, and transportation for whitewater rafting, fly fishing, paddleboarding, mountain biking, and hiking
  • On-site yoga session

ROAM Beyond provides one-of-a-kind lodging in some of the most remote and stunning locations in the western U.S. Our flagship location is just outside Glacier National Park in Montana.

ROAM Beyond is an elevated camping experience where guests can unplug to recharge. Roaming cabins have similar amenities that guests find at home and are designed with conservation in mind and reducing your footprint. Each cabin features unexpectedly comfortable beds (queen, twin, or bunk beds), linens, towels, hot water, a shower, toilet, a kitchenette with an under-the-counter fridge, a two-burner induction stove, dishes, and essential cookware. Outside, each cabin has a fire pit and outdoor seating creating the perfect space to enjoy a cozy Montana evening by a crackling fire.

Ranked Teams Battle on ESPN Networks illustration by Vaughn Lowery use by 360 Magazine

ESPN × College Football

Week 5 of college football across ESPN networks boasts a baker’s dozen of ranked squads in action, including three of the top four featured in this week’s AP Top 25. Highlighting the schedule this week is an all-SEC tripleheader on ESPN, featuring No. 2 Georgia, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 10 Florida and No. 22 Auburn.

At noon ET, the eighth-ranked Razorbacks head between the hedges to battle the second-ranked Bulldogs featuring Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe on the call, with the AT&T SkyCast available on ESPN3 and the ESPN App. ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot pregame show arrives in Athens on Saturday morning (9 a.m. – noon).

At 6 p.m., the No. 10 Gators look to Lexington and a matchup with undefeated Kentucky as Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Kris Budden announce the action. At 9 p.m., No. 22 Auburn is set for a showdown with SEC West foe, LSU. The Tigers vs. Tigers tussle is set for both ESPN and ESPN Radio, with Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy and Katie George live on ESPN and Sean Kelley, Barrett Jones and Ian Fitzsimmons on the radio call in Baton Rouge. Auburn-LSU features a SkyCast viewing option on ESPN3 and the ESPN App.

It’s an action-packed Saturday on ABC with a trio of games set for the spotlight. ABC’s Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One features a Big Ten battle between Indiana at No. 4 Penn State at 7:30 p.m. ET, with SkyCast and the Great Clips Command Center available on ESPN3 and the ESPN App. Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Molly McGrath are on the TV call, with Marc Kestecher and Ben Hartsock live on ESPN Radio.

Pac-12 action is set for mid-afternoon on ABC, as Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore and Stormy Buonantony call No. 3 Oregon at Stanford at 3:30 p.m. Gilmore returns to his alma mater where he was a two-sport athlete in football and baseball for the Cardinal. At noon, a Lone Star State showdown looms between Texas and TCU, as Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Luginbill kick off the day’s action on ABC.

On ESPN2, 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III calls his first game featuring his alma mater, as the No. 21 Baylor Bears take on Big 12 rival Oklahoma State. The 7 p.m. matchup between Baylor and the 19th-ranked Cowboys is this week’s 4K Game of the Week.

Also in primetime, No. 15 Texas A&M hosts Mississippi State at 7 p.m. on SEC Network, with the SEC Saturday Night trio of Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic on the call. At 7:30 p.m., Boston College looks to keep their unbeaten streak going against No. 25 Clemson on ACC Primetime Football, as Dave O’Brien, Tim Hasselbeck – a former Eagles quarterback – and Kelsey Riggs announce the action.

Finally, Saturday’s slate concludes with a matchup of undefeated teams in the Big Sky as Montana (3-0) travels to Eastern Washington (4-0). Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman and Tiffany Blackmon have the call at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Lindsey Stirling Tour Dates from Bari Lieberman for use by 360 Magazine

Lindsey Stirling’s Official Music Video – Masquerade

Ahead of this weekend’s official launch of her cross-country headlining Artemis U.S. Tour, platinum-selling electronic artist, violinist, and multi-talented entertainer Lindsey Stirling, known all over the world for her unique, futuristic violin-driven electronic music and exquisite live show, has gifted fans with a new music video for the song “Masquerade,” off her latest chart-topping studio album Artemis. Inspired by early 20th century silent films, the new visual for the instrumental track was filmed at The Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles and co-directed by Stirling and Stephen Mallett (Pentatonix, Logic, CHVRCHES). Press here to watch.

“While I was writing the song ‘Masquerade,’ I knew immediately that it would be about a wealthy over-the-top aristocratic woman,” shares Stirling. “The song has such a comedic feel to it, which made the music video really, really fun to plan and make.”

The Artemis U.S. Tour marks the first time Stirling will be performing the tracks off Artemis as well as her current single “Lose You Now” in front of an American audience. The 35-date outing, featuring special guest electro-pop artist Kiesza, kicks off this Saturday, July 3rd in Kansas City, MO and will stop in most major markets across the country including New York City (August 2nd at the Beacon Theatre), Los Angeles (August 30th at the Microsoft Theater), Denver (July 7th at Red Rocks Amphitheatre), Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, and many others, before wrapping September 10th in Milwaukee at Summerfest. See below for full list of tour dates. Visit Lindsey Stirling’s website for all ticketing details including special VIP packages that are also available. Press here to watch the official promo video “First Tour In Forever.”

Stirling has also launched a national contest with Fandiem for the ultimate VIP experience at her San Diego show on August 31st. The winner will receive roundtrip airfare for two plus two-night hotel stay, premium reserved seats in the first 8 rows, meet & greet photo opportunity with Lindsey, lunch at Lindsey’s favorite restaurant, merch, and more, along with a 45-minute helicopter tour of San Diego courtesy of Imagine Jets. Proceeds from entry donations will support Stirling’s nonprofit charity outreach program The Upside Fund, helping families and individuals affected by Covid-19. Press here to enter.

“Lose You Now,” Stirling’s emotive pop hit about loss and grief with artist, producer, and songwriter Mako, stems from the instrumental-only track “Guardian” off her Artemis album. Since its release earlier this year, “Lose You Now” (BMG) has amassed over 9 million global streams, including over 3 million views on the song’s beautifully moving music video, as well as featured placements on American Idol and “Train Tracks” on SiriusXM The Pulse. Press here to watch the official music video for “Lose You Now.” The duo also issued an acoustic version of the song this spring, stripping it down to just piano and a full string accompaniment – Press here to listen to “Lose You Now (Acoustic).”

Artemis, Stirling’s fifth studio album released September 2019 via BMG, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Albums Chart and remained on the chart for 15 combined weeks. The 13-track album, which has racked up over 200 million total global streams, features the singles “Underground,” “Artemis,” “Sleepwalking,” “Between Twilight” and “The Upside” featuring Elle King along with “Love Goes On and On” featuring Amy LeeArtemis has also been turned into a successful comic book series, with the sixth edition coming this summer. Press here to listen to Artemis and press here for info on the comic books.

Lindsey Stirling Tour Dates

Artemis U.S. Tour with special guest Kiesza

Saturday, July 3 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre

Monday, July 5 – Dubuque, IA @ Five Flags Center

Tuesday, July 6 – Omaha, NE @ Baxter Arena

Wednesday, July 7 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Thursday, July 8 – Vail, CO @ Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Friday, July 9 – Grand Junction, CO @ Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park

Saturday, July 10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre

Friday, July 23 – Dallas, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

Saturday, July 24 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Monday, July 26 – New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre

Tuesday, July 27 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart Amphitheater

Thursday, July 29 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater

Saturday, July 31 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater

Monday, August 2 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

Tuesday, August 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met

Wednesday, August 5 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap

Friday, August 6 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion

Saturday, August 7 – St. Louis, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park

Monday, August 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory

Tuesday, August 10 – Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

Wednesday, August 11 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Amphitheater at White River State Park

Thursday, August 12 – Detroit, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill

Saturday, August 14 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

Monday, August 16 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Tuesday, August 17 – Boston, MA @ Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion

Wednesday, August 18 – Wallingford, CT @ Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre

Monday, August 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Microsoft Theater

Tuesday, August 31 – San Diego, CA @ San Diego Civic Theatre

Wednesday, September 1 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Federal Theatre

Friday, September 3 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion

Saturday, September 4 – Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Theatre

Monday, September 6 – Portland, OR @ Theater of the Clouds at Moda Center

Tuesday, September 7 – Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater

Thursday, September 9 – Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater

Friday, September 10 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest

About Lindsey Stirling:

Since the release of her 2012 self-titled debut, the Arizona-raised, Los Angeles-based artist has racked up tens of millions of followers worldwide and more than 3 billion total views on YouTube. Stirling’s sophomore album Shatter Me was certified Gold by the RIAA, after debuting at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Dance/Electronic Albums Chart and holding the #1 spot on the Classical Albums Chart for 21 consecutive weeks. Her third studio album Brave Enough, featuring guest appearances from Dan + Shay, Christina Perri, Rivers Cuomo, Andrew McMahon and others, earned Stirling her second Billboard Music Award for “Top Dance/Electronic Album.” Stirling closed out 2020 with her all-new, live-streaming holiday special “Lindsey Stirling: Home for the Holidays,” which she independently created, produced, and financed. The hour-long ticketed special, which drew over 100,000 views from tens of thousands of fans and families worldwide, featured performances to seasonal favorites off Stirling’s chart-topping holiday album Warmer In the Winter in addition to the breathtaking performance of her hit “Crystallize,” where Stirling hung by her hair for a captivating Cirque du Soleil inspired aerial display – press here to watch. Additionally, Stirling co-wrote The New York Times best-selling book The Only Pirate at the Party with her sister Brook S. Passey, was the runner-up on Season 25 of “Dancing With the Stars” and has appeared on “America’s Got Talent.”

Follow Lindsey Stirling:

Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // YouTube// Spotify // TikTok // Twitch

illustration by Maria Soloman for use by 360 magazine

California bans travel to five new states over anti-LGBTQ laws

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Monday that five more states would join California’s state-funded travel restriction list. This is in response to those states having passed discriminatory anti-transgender laws restricting or prohibiting the participation of transgender women and girls in sports consistent with their gender identity. Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia join 12 other states on the list.

Bonta explained that the five new states were added due to lawmakers’ recent passage of anti-LGBTQ laws, “When states discriminate against LGBTQ+ Americans, California law requires our office to take action. These new additions to the state-funded travel restrictions list are about exactly that.”

The law that Bonta referenced is known as Assembly Bill 1887, “a law that (1) has the effect of voiding or repealing existing state or local protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; (2) authorizes or requires discrimination against same-sex couples or their families or on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; or (3) creates an exemption to antidiscrimination laws in order to permit discrimination against same-sex couples or their families or on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”

The bill prohibits the state from requiring employees to travel to a state subject to AB 1887’s travel prohibition and prohibits California from approving a request for state-funded or state-sponsored travel to such a state. It does not apply to personal travel.

It’s unfortunate that some politicians would rather demonize trans youth than focus on solving real issues like tackling gun violence, beating back this pandemic and rebuilding our economy,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday.

While the California attorney general’s office said the ban applies to all state-funded travel, there are exceptions; for example, if travel is required to maintain grant funding or licensure, or for auditing and revenue collection purposes.

The state attorney general’s office told CNN in a statement that “it’s ultimately up to each California agency, including universities, to make determinations about the steps they’ll need to take to comply with AB 1887.”

California has previously received pushback for its travel bans.

Last year, Oklahoma’s Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, issued an executive order that prohibits state employees from “all non-essential travel” to California after being added to the Golden State’s restricted travel list.

On Monday, news of California’s expanded travel ban was celebrated by LGBTQ rights advocates, including the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy groups.

“California’s announcement today shows that states passing anti-transgender laws will face real world consequences for their cruel actions. The legislatures that have enacted these laws are choosing to trade away economic opportunities in order to target transgender young people based with no pretext,” Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David told CNN in a statement.

The majority of bills would affect transgender youth, a group that researchers and medical professionals warn is already susceptible to high rates of suicide and depression.

“Make no mistake: We’re in the midst of an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country – and the state of California is not going to support it,” Bonta said in a statement.

Music note illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

NEEDTOBREATHE – SUNSHINE – INTO THE MYSTERY

GRAMMY® Award-nominated rock band NEEDTOBREATHE have released “Sunshine” the fourth track off their forthcoming studio album Into The Mystery. The song is available to stream and download starting today hereInto The Mystery is due for release on July 30 via Elektra Records and is available for pre-order now here. Limited edition merch offerings are available exclusively through NEEDTOBREATHE’s online store here.

Last week NEEDTOBREATHE delivered the television debut performance of Into The Mystery’s current single “I Wanna Remember” alongside seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner Carrie Underwood at the 2021 “CMT Music Awards.” Watch their unforgettable performance here. Crowned as one of the most show-stopping moments of the evening by both US Weekly and Entertainment TonightBillboard shared “Bear Rinehart and Underwood’s vocals intertwining like leather and lace,” and praised, “the love song about wanting to remember an especially romantic moment felt particularly poignant as we head into a summer where new memories will be made after putting dreams on hold for more than a year.”

Into The Mystery was announced last month alongside the release of the album’s lead single and title track. Earlier this month, the band unveiled the album’s opening track “What I’m Here ForInto The Mystery’s early songs have received praise from Rolling Stone, Billboard, People, American Songwriter, and more. The album will also feature collaborations with Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Natalie Hemby of The Highwomen.

This Fall, NEEDTOBREATHE will embark on their massive Into The Mystery Tour with support from Switchfoot and The New Respects. The 38-city trek will visit iconic venues such as Denver, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre (fifth consecutive sold out appearance) and Los Angeles, CA’s Greek Theatre, and see the band perform their first-ever headline show at Nashville, TN’s Bridgestone Arena. The Into The Mystery Tour will kick off on September 7 in St. Louis, MO, and wrap on October 30 in Atlanta, GA. Tickets for all dates are available now here.

Just as their critically acclaimed 2020 album Out of Body impacted audiences, NEEDTOBREATHE capitalized on a rush of inspiration and rode the wave of creativity. Without telling a soul, the band decamped to a historic house-turned-recording studio in Columbia, TN to begin working on new music. Over the course of three weeks, they resided under one roof, laughed during meals, explored their surroundings, and recorded together with co-producer and engineer Konrad Snyder and special guests. Out of this de facto creative hub and “extended summer camp,” they handcrafted an album reflective of the moment, yet independent of all expectations, even their own. For as intimate as the story may seem, they filmed every minute of it for an upcoming documentary entitled, Into The Mystery. Watch a teaser for the film here.

The past 12 months represent one of the most prolific periods in the band’s career thus far. They recently unveiled Live from the Woods Vol. 2, a live album recorded during three sold out, socially distanced outdoor concerts at Pelham, TN’s famed The Caverns. The band previewed the album with a performance of “Alive” on CBS’s The Late Late Show with James Corden. Meanwhile, Out of Body debuted in the top 5 across three Billboard charts, and received critical acclaim from Billboard, Spin, Southern Living, American Songwriter, Taste of Country, and more.

Into The Mystery Tour Dates

September 07, 2021 – St. Louis, MO – Saint Louis Music Park

September 08, 2021 – Kansas City, MO – Midland Theatre

September 10, 2021 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – SOLD OUT

September 11, 2021 – Salt Lake City, UT – Sandy City Amphitheater

September 13, 2021 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theatre

September 14, 2021 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union OAT

September 16, 2021 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre

September 17, 2021 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery

September 18, 2021 – Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheater

September 19, 2021 – Seattle, WA – Marymoor Amphitheater

September 21, 2021 – Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater

September 23, 2021 – Fargo, ND – Bluestem Center for the Arts – Bluestem Amphitheater

September 24, 2021 – Minneapolis, MN – Armory

September 25, 2021 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee

September 26, 2021 – Indianapolis, IN – Amphitheater at White River State Park

September 28, 2021 – Cincinnati, OH – Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center

September 30, 2021 – Chicago, IL – Radius

October 01, 2021 – Detroit, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill

October 02, 2021 – Cleveland, OH – Nautica Pavilion

October 03, 2021 – Pittsburgh, PA – Robert Morris University – UPMC Events Center

October 07, 2021 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia

October 08, 2021 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion

October 09, 2021 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17

October 10, 2021 – Washington, DC – The Anthem

October 12, 2021 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace Theater

October 14, 2021 – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre

October 15, 2021 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater

October 16, 2021 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena

October 17, 2021 – Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum

October 19, 2021 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP

October 21, 2021 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater

October 22, 2021 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre

October 23, 2021 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

October 24, 2021 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre

October 27, 2021 – Memphis, TN – Memphis Botanic Garden

October 28, 2021 – Birmingham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

October 29, 2021 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

October 30, 2021 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

About NEEDTOBREATHE:

Since 1998, NEEDTOBREATHE have quietly emerged as a dynamic force in rock music, topping the charts, selling out historic venues, and generating hundreds of millions of streams to date. The band has gathered one platinum single, four gold singles, and a gold album. Along the way, “Multiplied” notched their first GRAMMY® nomination. Simultaneously, they performed to sold out crowds at arenas and amphitheaters coast to coast. In addition to garnering two nods at the Billboard Music Awards, they’ve attracted acclaim from People, Rolling Stone, Forbes, and many more. In 2020, they sowed the seeds for rebirth with Out of Body. It bowed in the Top 5 of three Billboard charts and reeled in acclaim. Within weeks of its release, the quintet, Bear Rinehart [vocals, guitar], Seth Bolt [bass, vocals], Josh Lovelace [keys, vocals], Randall Harris [drums], and Tyler Burkum [guitar], stole away to an old historic house in Columbia, TN where they lived together, ate together, laughed together, and recorded together for three weeks in the fall of 2020. They returned home with their eighth album and documentary Into The Mystery [Elektra Records]. It’s the kind of record that could only be made by a band who has been through it all and still has enough faith to keep encouraging one another. It’s NEEDTOBREATHE.

Stay Connected with NEEDTOBREATHE

NEEDTOBREATHE Website

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LGBTQ illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

LGBTQ State Legislative Attacks

UPDATE: With Unprecedented 18 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Enacted, 2021 Officially Becomes Worst Year in Recent History for LGBTQ State Legislative Attacks 

With Anti-LGBTQ Momentum Sweeping through State Legislatures, 2021 Surpasses 2015 as Worst Year In Recent History 

Detailed Breakdown of 2021 Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation Below

With an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ measures sweeping through state legislatures across the country, 2021 has officially surpassed 2015 as the worst year for anti-LGBTQ legislation in recent history, according to updated tracking and analysis by the Human Rights Campaign (detailed breakdown below). The previous record — set six years ago in 2015, when 15 anti-LGBTQ bills were enacted into law — was broken on Friday, as the sixteenth and seventeenth anti-LGBTQ bills were enacted into law as well as the eighteenth anti-LGBTQ bill today. In addition, 7 anti-LGBTQ bills are on governors’ desks awaiting signature or veto and several more are continuing to move through state legislatures across the country.

“The rights of LGBTQ people — and especially transgender people — across the country are being systematically threatened and undermined by national anti-LGBTQ groups coordinating with anti-equality lawmakers to wage an unprecedented war on the LGBTQ community. In fact, some of these bills are similar to or even worse than anti-LGBTQ legislation that has been rejected in previous years, including the Indiana religious refusal bill of 2015 and North Carolina’s infamous HB2. Bills that have become law so far this year range from making it a felony to provide transgender youth with life saving health care to banning transgender girls from participating in sports to erasing LGBTQ people from school curriculum to granting broad licenses to discriminate against LGBTQ people. This crisis cannot be ignored and necessitates concrete action from all those with the ability to speak out,” said Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David. “These bills are not only harmful and discriminatory, but also represent a failure in our democracy and the commitment elected officials make to protect and serve their constituents. Now is not the time for reluctance or passivity, it is time to take urgent action to protect the basic rights and humanity of LGBTQ people in America.”

The wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation — a coordinated push led by national anti-LGBTQ groups, not local lawmakers – is part of a broader strategy to score political points with the conservative base by curtailing the rights of LGBTQ people and specifically trans youth — under the guise of responding to nonexistent and baseless threats. These bills represent a cruel effort to further stigmatize and discriminate against LGBTQ people across the country, specifically trans youth who simply want to live as their true selves and grow into who they are.

Breakdown of Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Sweeping State Legislatures in 2021

  • So far in 2021, eighteen anti-LGBTQ bills have been enacted into law surpassing 2015 as the worst year for anti-LGBTQ legislation in recent history (when 15 anti-LGBTQ bills were enacted into law), including:
    • 7 anti-trans sports bans in Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Montana, and West Virginia
    • 4 religious refusal bills, including in Arkansas, Montana, and South Dakota
    • 2 anti-LGBTQ education bills in Tennessee and Montana
    • 1 anti-trans medical care ban bill in Arkansas
    • 1 sham “hate crimes” bill in Arkansas
    • 1 anti-all comers bill in North Dakota
    • 1 anti-trans birth certificate bill in Montana
    • 1 discriminatory diversity training ban bill in Oklahoma
  • With eighteen bills now signed into law, states have enacted more anti-LGBTQ laws this year than in the last three years combined (anti-LGBTQ bills enacted in previous years include 2 bills in 2018, 7 bills in 2019, and 4 bills in 2020).
  • More than 250 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures in 2021, including:
    • At least 35 bills that would prohibit transgender youth from being able to access best-practice, age-appropriate, gender-affirming medical care
    • At least 69 bills that would prohibit transgender youth (and in some cases college students) from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity
    • At least 43 bills that would allow people to assert a religious belief as justification for failing to abide by the law or provide services to people of whom they disapprove
    • At least 15 bills that would prohibit transgender people from having access to restrooms or locker rooms consistent with their gender identity

Wide range of business and advocacy groups oppose anti-trans legislation

  • More than 90 major U.S. corporations have stood up and spoke out to oppose anti-transgender legislation being proposed in states across the country. New companies like Facebook, Pfizer, Altria, Peloton, and Dell join companies like Amazon, American Airlines, Apple, AT&T, AirBnB, Google, Hilton, IBM, IKEA, Microsoft, Nike, Paypal, Uber, and Verizon in objecting to these bills. Four of the largest U.S. food companies also condemned “dangerous, discriminatory legislation that serves as an attack on LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender and nonbinary people,” and the Walton Family Foundation issued a statement expressing “alarm” at the trend of anti-transgender legislation that has recently become law in Arkansas.
  • The nation’s leading child health and welfare groups representing more than 7 million youth-serving professionals and more than 1000 child welfare organizations released an open letter calling for lawmakers in states across the country to oppose dozens of bills that target LGBTQ people, and transgender children in particular.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

LGBTQ illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

Ten Anti-LGBTQ Bills Sit on Governors’ Desks

Ten Anti-LGBTQ Bills Sit on Governors’ Desks, Poised to Undermine Rights Across the Country

As a fast and furious effort led by national groups aiming to stymie LGBTQ progress made on the national level and in many states continues to intensify, ten anti-LGBTQ bills currently sit on the desks of governors across the country waiting to be signed into law. These bills are only the latest examples of a concerted effort in state legislatures to undermine LGBTQ rights that has already resulted in the passage of several anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation in recent months.

“State legislators across the country were elected to represent all of us, not just some of us and yet they continue to send hateful and discriminatory anti-LGBTQ bills to the desks of governors to sign into law, threatening the well-being, health, and fundamental rights of thousands of LGBTQ Americans in states from coast to coast,” said Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David. “From anti-transgender sports bans to erasing LGBTQ people from school curriculum, these bills are driven by fear and would have a significant negative impact on the lives of so many LGBTQ people. The governors of these states are responsible for protecting their citizens, and they must refuse to sign these baseless and unconscionable cruel bills into law.  Otherwise, they should and will be held accountable for the consequences.”

These bills include blatant attacks on transgender youth, including prohibiting transgender kids from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity, allow student organizations to discriminate against LGBTQ students under the guise of free speech, erase LGBTQ people from history books, and add substantial hurdles for transgender people who want to change the gender on their birth certificate by first requiring gender-affirming surgery.

Below is a roundup of the ten anti-LGBTQ bills currently sitting on the desks of governors:

  • ALABAMA
    • House Bill 391 – ANTI-TRANS SPORTS BILL
      • The Alabama Senate and House passed House Bill 391, an anti-transgender bill that would ban transgender youth from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity. The bill now heads to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk for signature or veto.
  • ARIZONA
    • Senate Bill 1456 – SEX ED PARENTAL NOTIFICATION BILL
      • The Arizona State House passed Senate Bill 1456 – discriminatory legislation that affects not only sexual education material, but all learning materials in the classroom and makes it harder for LGBTQ kids to see themselves in school curriculum.
      • The bill, which would make Arizona’s sex education laws some of the strictest in the nation when it comes to teaching about LGBTQ issues, now heads to Governor Doug Ducey’s desk for consideration.
  • ARKANSAS
    • Senate Bill 389 – SEX ED PARENTAL NOTIFICATON BILL
      • The Arkansas Senate passed Senate Bill 389, a bill which would require a school district to notify parents before “providing a sexual orientation curriculum or gender identity curriculum” in any kind of instruction, including but not limited to education on sexuality.
      • In addition to making it harder for students kids to access sex education, it could also preclude discussion about sexuality more broadly, including in literature and history classes, for example. A district could be forced to notify parents, provide curriculum materials, and allow parents to opt students out of learning about important modern and historical events, from the A.I.D.S. epidemic to the Stonewall riots to even Supreme Court jurisprudence. This bill disproportionately disadvantages LGBTQ youth who may not have supportive families and put children at greater risk of health consequences.
  • KANSAS
    • Kansas Senate Bill 55 – ANTI-TRANS SPORTS BILL
      • The Kansas Senate passed Senate Bill 55, an anti-transgender bill that would ban transgender girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity.
  • MONTANA
    • Senate Bill 280    – BIRTH CERTIFICATE BILL
      • The Montana Senate passed SB 280, a bill that adds substantial hurdles for transgender people who want to change the gender on their birth certificate by first requiring gender-affirming surgery.
    • Senate Bill 215 – RELIGIOUS REFUSAL BILL
      • The Montana House passed SB 215, an expansive religious refusal bill that could grant a license to discriminate against Montanans and visitors, including LGBTQ people, people of faith, and women, across a wide range of goods and services in the state.
  • NORTH DAKOTA
    • House Bill 1503 – ANTI-ALL COMERS BILL
      • Many public colleges and universities have long had “all-comers” policies that require student organizations receiving financial and other support from the institution not to discriminate against students based on race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.
      • These policies allow all members of the student body to participate in student organizations and prevent such organizations from discriminating against students with state funding. The Supreme Court upheld these all-comers policies as constitutional in the Christian Legal Society v. Martinez decision in 2010.
      • North Dakota HB 1503, in part, undermines inclusive “all-comers” policies at North Dakota public colleges and universities, by allowing student organizations to discriminate against LGBTQ students under the guise of free speech.
    • House Bill 1298 – ANTI-TRANS SPORTS BILL
      • The North Dakota Senate passed House Bill 1298, an anti-transgender bill that would ban transgender girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity.
  • TENNESSEE
    • Senate Bill 1229 – SEX ED PARENTAL NOTIFICATION
      • The Tennessee Senate passed Senate Bill 1229, a bill which would require a school district to notify parents before “providing a sexual orientation curriculum or gender identity curriculum” in any kind of instruction, including but not limited to education on sexuality.
      • In addition to making it harder for students kids to access sex education, it could also preclude discussion about sexuality more broadly, including in literature and history classes, for example. A district could be forced to notify parents, provide curriculum materials, and allow parents to opt students out of learning about important modern and historical events, from the A.I.D.S. epidemic to the Stonewall riots to even Supreme Court jurisprudence.
      • SB 389 also disproportionately disadvantages LGBTQ youth who may not have supportive families and puts children at greater risk of health consequences.
  • WEST VIRGINIA
    • House Bill 3293 – ANTI-TRANS SPORTS BILL
      • The West Virginia Senate passed House Bill 3293, an anti-transgender bill that would ban transgender girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity.

Wide range of businesses and advocacy groups oppose anti-trans legislation

  • More than 65 major U.S. corporations have stood up and spoken out to oppose anti-transgender legislation being proposed in states across the country. New companies like Facebook, Pfizer, Altria, Peloton, and Dell join companies like Amazon, American Airlines, Apple, AT&T, AirBnB, Google, Hilton, IBM, IKEA, Microsoft, Nike, Paypal, Uber, and Verizon in objecting to these bills.
  • The nation’s leading child health and welfare groups representing more than 7 million youth-serving professionals and more than 1000 child welfare organizations released an open letter calling for lawmakers in states across the country to oppose dozens of bills that target LGBTQ people, and transgender children in particular.

The NCAA opposes efforts to limit participation of transgender students

The NCAA Board of Governors released a public letter making clear that it “firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports.” Moreover, “When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected.” This puts the 30 states with discriminatory anti-transgender legislation under consideration on notice that their actions will have repercussions for their states.

A fight driven by national anti-LGBTQ groups, not local legislators or public concern

These bills come from the same forces that drove previous anti-equality fights by pushing copycat bills across state houses — dangerous anti-LGBTQ organizations like the Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom (designated by Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group), and Eagle Forum among others.

  • For example, Montana’s HB 112, the first anti-transgender sports bill to be passed through a legislative chamber in any state, was worked on by the Alliance Defending Freedom.

Trans equality is popular: Anti-transgender legislation is a low priority, even among Trump voters

A new PBS/NPR/Marist poll states that 67% of Americans, including 66% of Republicans, oppose the anti-transgender sports ban legislation proliferating across 30 states.

In a 10-swing-state poll conducted by the Human Rights Campaign & Hart Research Group last fall:

  • At least 60% of Trump voters across each of the 10 swing states say transgender people should be able to live freely and openly.
  • At least 87% of respondents across each of the 10 swing states say transgender people should have equal access to medical care, with many states breaking 90% support
  • When respondents were asked about how they prioritized the importance of banning transgender people from participating in sports as compared to other policy issues, the issue came in dead last, with between 1% and 3% prioritizing the issue.

Another more recent poll conducted by the Human Rights Campaign & Hart Research Group revealed that, with respect to transgender youth participation in sports, the public’s strong inclination is on the side of fairness and equality for transgender student athletes. 73% of voters agree that “sports are important in young people’s lives. Young transgender people should be allowed opportunities to participate in a way that is safe and comfortable for them.”

States that pass anti-transgender legislation suffer economic, legal, reputational harm

Analyses conducted in the aftermath of previous divisive anti-transgender bills across the country, like the bathroom bills introduced in Texas and North Carolina and an anti-transgender sports ban in Idaho, show that there would be or has been devastating fallout.

  • The Idaho anti-transgender sports bill that passed was swiftly suspended by a federal district court. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) came out against the Idaho bill and others like it and subsequently moved planned tournament games out of Idaho.
  • The Associated Press projected that the North Carolina bathroom bill could have cost the state $3.76 billion over 10 years.
  • During a fight over an anti-transgender bathroom bill in 2017, the Texas Association of Business estimated $8.5 billion in economic losses, risking 185,000 jobs in the process due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and professional sporting event cancellations, a ban on taxpayer funded travel to those states, cancellation of movie productions, and businesses moving projects out of state.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Transgender Sports illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

NCAA LGBTQ OneTeam

NCAA LGBTQ OneTeam facilitators publish open letter condemning anti-transgender legislation

The NCAA LGBTQ OneTeam, a group of NCAA- trained facilitators at colleges across the country published an open letter condemning the actions taken by 28 states across the country to introduce, pass, and sign anti-transgender legislation. 2021 has been a record year for anti-transgender legislation, with 93 anti-transgender bills introduced across the country, the vast majority of which attempt to ban transgender women and girls’ participation in girls’ sports or ban transgender youth from accessing medically necessary, gender-affirming health care.

Laws have been signed banning transgender women and girls’ participation in girls’ sports in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas, with Executive Orders being signed to the same effect in South Dakota.  Legislators across the country have failed to provide examples of issues in their states to attempt to justify these attacks, laying bare the reality that these are attacks on transgender youth that are fueled by discrimination and not supported by fact.  Collegiate and professional sports organizations have had trans-inclusive policies for years without incident, and there is no reason any state would need a ban on transgender participation in sports.

The NCAA LGBTQ OneTeam open letter reads as follows:

An Open Letter in Support of Transgender Student-Athletes

We, the undersigned, are facilitators of the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NCAA)Division III LGBTQ OneTeam Program, which is a national training program that fosters LGBTQ+ inclusion in NCAA Division III athletics, and members of the NCAA’s Division III LGBTQ Working Group. Given the recent rise in legislation that is focused on excluding transgender people from athletics across the country, we have decided to use our collective voice to condemn such actions. We call on elected officials across the country to immediately halt legislation that is aimed at excluding transgender youth and young adults from equal and equitable participation in sport.

In our role with the NCAA’s LGBTQ OneTeam Program, we train coaches, athletics administrators, and student-athletes across the whole of Division III athletics. This program is aimed at helping to understand the importance of LGBTQ inclusion in college athletics, while also identifying strategies and best practices for institutions and conferences to better ensure that all student-athletes–regardless of their sexuality, gender identity, and/or gender expression–can participate in an inclusive and safe athletic climate. We cannot, in good conscience, fail to speak out at this critical moment.

In the past several weeks, actions–which are aimed at excluding transgender youth and young adults from equal and equitable participation in sport–have been taken by elected officials inseveral states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. At the time of this writing, the Governors ofArkansas,Idaho,Mississippi, andTennessee have already signed such dangerous legislation into law. 

Legislation aimed at categorically banning transgender people–and particularly transgender girls and women–from sport is inherently discriminatory. Such legislation is often “informed” by hate and misinformation rather than science, and it is most certainly “informed” byfear instead of fact. Conversely, trans-inclusive policies, such as those established by theNCAA and theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC), are better informed by the current scientific evidence, and this evidence shows that transgender women do not have an inherent competitive advantage over cisgender women.

Furthermore, discriminatory legislation that is aimed at excluding transgender people from sport has a number ofserious consequences for transgender students. Such legislation dehumanizes transgender students, refuses them the opportunity to participate equally and equitably in athletics, undermines their support in educational settings, damages their mental health, and ultimately harms these students, while also contributing to an exclusionary athletic environment and a more hostile school climate for all students.

We immediately call for 1) an end to such legislation in all states and 2) a repeal of such laws in Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, and Tennessee. And finally, we also encourage our legislators to better consider theNCAA best practices and importance of an inclusive athletic environment for all student-athletes.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Timothy R. Bussey, Ph.D.

Pronouns: they/them

Associate Director, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | Kenyon College

Kayla Hayes, M.Ed.

Pronouns: she/her

Associate Head Women’s Basketball Coach Dept. of Athletics | Denison University

Kyrstin Krist, Ph.D.

Pronouns: she/her

Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Faculty Athletic Representative | Methodist University

Melynda Link, M.B.A.

Pronouns: she/her

Director of Athletic Facilities & Game Day Operations, Dept. of Athletics | Haverford College

Kathleen M. Murray

Pronouns: she/her

President, Office of the President | Whitman College

Jess Duff

Pronouns: she/her

Assistant Athletic Director for Student Athlete Services & Internal Operations Dept. of Athletics | Bates College

Jessica Weiss

Pronouns: she/her

Head Field Hockey Coach, Dept. of Athletics | Randolph-Macon College

Jennifer Dubow

Pronouns: she/her

Executive Director | Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC)

Maura Johnston

Pronouns: she/her

Head Field Hockey Coach, Dept. of Athletics | Fairleigh Dickinson University

Scott McGuiness

Pronouns: no pronouns

Director of Athletics, Dept. of Athletics | Washington & Jefferson College

Danielle Lynch, M.S.Ed.

Pronouns: she/her

Senior Woman Administrator and Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach Athletic Department | Penn State University – Harrisburg

Melissa Walton

Pronouns: she/her

Senior Associate Athletic Director Athletic Department | Albion College

Amy Reed

Pronouns: she/her

Senior Woman Administrator and Head Women’s Basketball Coach Dept. of Athletics | Rochester Institute of Technology

Donna M. Ledwin

Pronouns: she/her

Commissioner | Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC)

Donnesha Blake, Ph.D.

Pronouns: she/her

Director of Diversity and Inclusion Dept. of Student Affairs | Alma College

Tim Wilson

Pronouns: he/him

Assistant Track and Field Coach, Dept. of Athletics | Stevens Institute of Technology

Anne Kietzman

Pronouns: she/her

Head Field Hockey Coach, Dept. of Athletics | Washington College

Ashley Crossway, D.A.T., A.T.C.

Pronouns: she/her

Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Clinical Education Dept. of Kinesiology | SUNY Cortland

Melissa Brooks

Pronouns: she/her

Head Women’s Basketball Coach Athletic Department | Fairleigh Dickinson University – Florham 

Tiffany Thompson

Pronouns: she/her

Associate Director of Gender and Sexuality Initiatives, Intercultural Center | Swarthmore College

Kirsten Clark

Pronouns: she/her

Associate Athletic Director, Dept. of Athletics and Recreation | Clark University

Kate Levin

Pronouns: she/her

Assistant Sports Information Director Dept. of Athletics | Ramapo College

Cori Collinsworth

Pronouns: she/her

Head Softball Coach, Athletic Department | Hanover College

Bethany Dannelly

Pronouns: she/her

Associate Director of Athletics, Dept. of Physical Education and Athletics | Washington and Lee University

Jennifer Childress-White, M.Ed.

Pronouns: she/her

Assistant Athletic Director and University Title IX Coordinator Dept. of Athletics | Pacific Lutheran University

Elise Fitzsimmons, M.S., A.T.C.

Pronouns: she/her

Assistant Athletic Trainer, Dept. of Athletics| SUNY Oswego 

Amanda Walker

Pronouns: she/her

Athletic Program Coordinator Athletics Department | Lake Forest College

Danielle O’Leary

Pronouns: she/her

Senior Woman Administrator and Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach Athletics Department | Mount Aloysius College

Crystal Lanning

Pronouns: she/her

Director of Athletics, Dept. of Athletics | University of Wisconsin – River Falls

Neil Virtue

Pronouns: he/him

Assistant Director of Athletics and Head Swimming Coach | Dept. of Athletics, P.E., and Recreation Mills College

Jose’ Rodriguez, M.Ed.

Pronouns: he/him

Chief Diversity Officer, Office of University Diversity Initiatives | Cabrini University

Karen Moberg, M.Ed., L.A.T., A.T.C.

Pronouns: she/her

Associate Athletic Trainer, Athletic Department | Macalester College

Yishka Chin

Pronouns: she/her

Coordinator for Tutoring Services and Trailblazer Program Director, Dept. of Student Success | Notre Dame of Maryland University

Renee Bostic

Pronouns: she/her

Director of Athletics & Wellness Dept. of Athletics & Wellness | Notre Dame of Maryland University

Megan Cullinane

Pronouns: she/her

Assistant Athletic Director and Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Athletics Dept. of Athletics and Recreation | University of Massachusetts – Boston

Maureen Harty

Pronouns: she/her

Executive Director | College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW)

Stephanie Dutton

Pronouns: she/her

Commissioner | North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC)

Sharia Marcus-Carter

Pronouns: she/her

Senior Woman Administrator and Director of Compliance, Athletics Department | Brooklyn College

Trans Rights illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

Montana’s Anti-Trans Sports Bill

Montana Sends Anti-Trans Sports Bill To Gov. Gianforte 

Today, the Montana Senate passed House Bill 112, an anti-LGBTQ bill that would ban transgender girls and women from participating in sports at the elementary, secondary, or post-secondary level consistent with their gender identity. The bill now heads to Governor Greg Gianforte’s desk for signature or veto. Montana was the first legislature to take up anti-transgender legislation in the 2021 session, considering it in January in a rushed House process and before any serious legislation to address the COVID-19 crisis.

Montana has been at the tip of the spear in the legislative fight to pass discriminatory anti-transgender legislation, a fast and furious effort led by national groups aiming to stymie LGBTQ progress made on the national level and in many states. There are so far 192 anti-LGBTQ bills under consideration in state legislatures across the country. Of those, 93 directly target transgender people and about half of those would, like HB 112, ban transgender girls and women from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity.  Legislators across the country have failed to provide examples of issues in their states to attempt to justify these attacks, laying bare the reality that these are attacks on transgender youth that are fueled by discrimination and not supported by fact.  Collegiate and professional sports organizations have had trans-inclusive policies for years without incident, and there is no reason Montana needs a ban on transgender participation in sports.  Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David issued the following statement in reaction:

“Montana legislators have sadly led the national effort to advance these discriminatory bills that put fear over facts, science, and medicine. Montana legislators are putting Governor Gianforte in a position to jeopardize the wellbeing of the state and put transgender kids in danger in favor of [this] anti-equality political talking point. While no Montana legislator has provided examples of what they claim to be legislating against, they continue to justify prioritizing this manufactured issue over addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout. Transgender kids are kids, and they deserve better than this targeted discrimination. Ultimately, this is a bad deal for all Montanans, who would also be subject to the catastrophic consequences that other states have faced after passing anti-transgender legislation.”

Wide range of business and advocacy groups, athletes oppose anti-trans legislation

  • Earlier this month, more than 55 major U.S. corporations stood up and spoke out to oppose anti-transgender legislation being proposed in states across the country. New companies like Facebook, Pfizer, Altria, Peloton, and Dell join companies like Amazon, American Airlines, Apple, AT&T, AirBnB, Google, Hilton, IBM, IKEA, Microsoft, Nike, Paypal, Uber, and Verizon in objecting to these bills.
  • Nearly 550 college athletes have stood up to anti-transgender legislation by demanding the NCAA pull championships from states with anti-trans sports legislation
  • The nation’s leading child health and welfare groups representing more than 7 million youth-serving professionals and more than 1000 child welfare organizations released an open letter calling for lawmakers in states across the country to oppose dozens of bills that target LGBTQ people, and transgender children in particular.

A fight driven by national anti-LGBTQ groups, not local legislators or public concern

These bills come from the same forces that drove previous anti-equality fights by pushing copycat bills across state houses — dangerous, anti-LGBTQ organizations like the Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom (designated by Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group), and Eagle Forum among others.

  • For example, Montana’s HB 112, the first anti-transgender sports bill to be passed through a legislative chamber in any state, was worked on by the Alliance Defending Freedom.

Trans equality is popular: Anti-transgender legislation is a low priority, even among Trump voters

In a 10-swing-state poll conducted by the Human Rights Campaign & Hart Research Group last fall:

  • At least 60% of Trump voters across each of the 10 swing states say transgender people should be able to live freely and openly.
  • At least 87% of respondents across each of the 10 swing states say transgender people should have equal access to medical care, with many states breaking 90% support
  • When respondents were asked about how they prioritized the importance of banning transgender people from participating in sports as compared to other policy issues, the issue came in dead last, with between 1% and 3% prioritizing the issue.

Another more recent poll conducted by the Human Rights Campaign & Hart Research Group revealed that, with respect to transgender youth participation in sports, the public’s strong inclination is on the side of fairness and equality for transgender student athletes. 73% of voters agree that “sports are important in young people’s lives. Young transgender people should be allowed opportunities to participate in a way that is safe and comfortable for them.”

States that pass anti-transgender legislation suffer economic, legal, reputational harm

Analyses conducted in the aftermath of previous divisive anti-transgender bills across the country, like the bathroom bills introduced in Texas and North Carolina and an anti-transgender sports ban in Idaho, show that there would be or has been devastating fallout.

  • The Idaho anti-transgender sports bill that passed was swiftly suspended by a federal district court. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) came out against the Idaho bill and others like it and subsequently moved planned tournament games out of Idaho.
  • The Associated Press projected that the North Carolina bathroom bill could have cost the state $3.76 billion over 10 years.
  • During a fight over an anti-transgender bathroom bill in 2017, the Texas Association of Business estimated $8.5 billion in economic losses, risking 185,000 jobs in the process due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and professional sporting event cancellations, a ban on taxpayer funded travel to those states, cancellation of movie productions, and businesses moving projects out of state.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

church illustration by 360 Magazine

Montana’s Religious Refusal Bill

Montana House Sends Religious Refusal Bill To Governor Gianforte’s Desk

RFRA bill similar to controversial Indiana law signed by then Gov. Mike Pence

Today, the Montana House passed passed anti-LGBTQ Senate Bill 215, an expansive religious refusal bill that could grant a license to discriminate against Montanans and visitors, including LGBTQ people, people of faith, and women, across a wide range of goods and services in the state. The bill now heads to Governor Greg Gianforte for signature or veto. In 2015, then-Governor of Indiana Mike Pence signed a similar piece of legislation into law that encouraged widespread discrimination from medical providers, businesses, government officials and taxpayer-funded entities. Mississippi also passed a RFRA in 2016. In the wake of Indiana, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed a RFRA bill at the urging of Senators John McCain, Jeff Flake, and Mitt Romney, saying that it would have “unintended consequences” and divide the state. The Arizona bill faced serious business opposition, including Apple, AT&T, Delta Airlines, Major League Baseball, and the Super Bowl House Committee.

As reported by The 19ththis is among 36 anti-LGBTQ “religious freedom” measures coursing through state legislatures as part of a national flood of anti-LGBTQ legislation and an effort by national, far-right extremist groups to sow fear and division for political gain. This represents the fourth anti-LGBTQ bill sent to a governor’s desk this session, and just the second RFRA bill. Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David issued the following statement in reaction to today’s House vote:

Governor Gianforte was elected in part on the promise of bringing new businesses and industries to Montana. He should seriously consider vetoing this legislation, which would not just discriminate against LGBTQ people, but threaten to ward off the very businesses he is hoping to attract. In 2015, then-Indiana Governor Mike Pence saw a steep decline in revenue and loss of business that hurt Indiana. Montana could resign themselves to the same fate if this bill becomes law. The people of Montana believe in religious liberty and LGBTQ equality — those two values are not mutually exclusive. Rejecting this legislation is crucial for the equality of all and for the future of the state. In trying economic times and in the midst of a global pandemic, discrimination should not be on the agenda.

Indiana passed a similar bill which cost them $60m in lost revenue

  • The backlash from the business community and voters was swift, and Pence soon became a national disgrace. Pence’s discriminatory bill had enormous consequences for Indiana’s economy and reputation. Indianapolis’s non-profit tourism agency estimated that in their city alone, Pence’s anti-LGBTQ bill cost up to 12 conventions and $60 million in lost revenue
  • The State of Indiana had to spend $365k of taxpayer money on a PR firm to help dampen the backlash and attempt to restore the reputation of Indiana
  • A reported by the Associated Press detailed that “12 out-of-state groups were surveyed and all said that the state’s controversial religious objections law played a role in their decision to hold their events elsewhere.”

Voters strongly disapproved of Indiana’s religious refusal law and punished Pence for signing it

  • And polling conducted by HRC after the 2015 fight found that 75 percent of Hoosiers said the law was bad for the state’s economy, and 70 percent of those surveyed said they opposed it.
  • Following the embarrassing fallout, his approval ratings tanked with voters and Pence decided not to run for re-election. Yet, his appalling record on LGBTQ equality won him a place on the ticket with Trump as his running mate. Now, Pence has been working behind the scenes at the White House to push his own disgraced values onto the national stage.
  • A poll conducted by the Indianapolis tourism department showed that the city was still facing the lingering repercussions of the reputational harm it incurred as a result of the legislation a year later

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.