Indiana Republicans target transgender people in one of new year’s first anti-LGBTQ+ bills

Indiana lawmakers have begun 2025 by introducing one of the first anti-LGBTQ+ bills of the year, a continuation of Republicans’ ongoing campaign to restrict transgender rights. House Bill 1041, authored by GOP state Rep. Michelle Davis, seeks to expand the state’s 2022 ban on transgender girls in K-12 sports to college athletics. The legislation mandates that intercollegiate athletic teams be categorized as male, female, or coeducational, barring transgender women from participating on women’s teams.

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The latest measure is part of a broader national trend targeting transgender people, with 574 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in state legislatures in 2024 alone, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Many of these bills, including several passed into law, focused on restricting access to gender-affirming care, limiting transgender participation in sports, and imposing curriculum censorship.

Related: GOP Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb Vetoes Anti-Trans Sports Bill

Davis claims the bill is about ensuring fairness in sports, though Indiana has reported no issues involving transgender athletes at the collegiate level, the Indianapolis Star reports. “We don’t want to wait for a girl to have her opportunity taken before we act,” coauthor state Rep. Chris Jeter told the paper while acknowledging that Indiana has not encountered the issue. Critics argue that such legislation is unnecessary and harmful, framing transgender inclusion as a threat despite a lack of evidence to support those claims.

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Indiana’s 2022 sports ban for K-12 students faced significant backlash, including protests and a veto from then-Gov. Eric Holcomb, who argued the measure addressed a nonexistent problem. The Republican-led legislature ultimately overrode his veto, and the law went into effect. A lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Indiana on behalf of a transgender student led to a preliminary injunction, though the case was later dropped after the student changed schools.

The introduction of HB 1041 signals another chapter in the ongoing legislative assault on LGBTQ+ rights. With Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, who has publicly supported restricting transgender participation in sports, set to take the governor’s office on January 13, the bill’s passage seems increasingly likely after the state legislature convenes on January 8.