What to know about Alaska's latest transgender bills vs. anti-discrimination lawsuit

Lucas Wright, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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There are several bills currently under consideration by Alaska lawmakers that would limit the rights of transgender youth - all part of a broader national trend - but that’s just part of the issue.

The Last Frontier and 19 other states are also involved in a constitutional lawsuit that has been ongoing since July 2022 over whether the federal government and the U.S. Department of Education have overreached their authority regarding anti-discrimination laws. At the center of the debate is how the federal courts consider sexual discrimination with respect to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

Until the federal courts decide the merits of the case and the alleged overreach of the anti-discrimination law, federal guidance from DOE on transgender rights applies differently to states involved in the suit.

More: Read Department of Education's proposed Title IX rule for transgender sports participation

State Rep. Jennie Armstrong of Anchorage argues that the various anti-trans bills amount to “legalized discrimination” and has introduced a measure to “effectively put into statute the solution that Attorney General Treg R. Taylor, and the State Commission on Human Rights both said would need to be in law.”

Alaska’s proposed transgender-based legislation includes:

  • Student sports teams

  • Bathrooms

  • Protecting trans rights

  • Sexual Education, parental governance committees, notification to parents when students change pronouns

  • Gender transition

The Democratic lawmaker added that having a definition for sexual discrimination in employment that is different from the ones in education and other service areas creates inconsistencies in the law.

“A lot of the bills that are before us that are anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans are very clearly against our constitution in the Privacy Clause,” added Armstrong.

State Reps. Jamie Allard, Ben Carpenter, Tom McKay, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alaska's latest transgender bills vs. anti-discrimination lawsuit