These requirements, which also apply in several other states, have been criticized for forcibly outing trans people. The state of Maryland, for instance, is poised to pass a law lifting the publication requirement, with legislation currently sitting on the desk of its governor, Larry Hogan.
Those unable to secure a court order would then be forced to provide a physician’s note verifying that they’ve undergone confirmation surgery, which would be extremely cost-prohibitive. According to a 2015 report from CNN, transitioning can lead to expenses of more than $100,000, as transgender people are commonly forced to pay out of pocket for gender-affirming care. Oklahoma, for instance, does not include trans healthcare in its Medicare plan.
The pandemic has also led to long delays in services for trans people, including name changes, since many courts have been closed for “non-essential business,” according to a report from the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry.
In addition to the current bureaucratic hurdles, the state legislature is only making it increasingly difficult to be transgender in Oklahoma. The state has pushed four anti-trans bills this year, most recently advancing Senate Bill 2, another iteration of the “save women’s sports” bills that aim to bar trans girls from competing in women’s sports. SB 2, which applies to both K-12 and college environments, passed the Oklahoma House on Monday by a 86-18 vote.
Should SB 2 be signed into law, all student athletes would be forced to provide an affidavit “acknowledging the biological sex of the student at birth.” It would also enable students to take legal action against institutions that don’t comply with the order and would establish legal immunity for schools that discriminate against trans girls in athletics.
Oklahoma’s other anti-trans bills pertain to the banning and criminalization of trans healthcare for minors. SB 583 would prohibit all forms of “gender reassignment medical treatment” for transgender minors, and the similarly themed SB 676 increases the age limit to 21. The latter bill, meanwhile, bans trans minors from obtaining care even with parental consent and also designates trans healthcare as a felony punishable by imprisonment for at least three years and a fine of up to $20,000.
As last week’s incident illustrates, anti-trans discrimination persists even without legislation targeting vulnerable populations. Further codifying that discrimination into law, as many advocates have said, is potentially disastrous and even fatal.
Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for them.’s weekly newsletter here.
