As the Trump administration ramps up its attacks on transgender rights at the federal level, Vermont lawmakers are moving in the opposite direction.
This week, the state Legislature Pass H.550a sweeping bill aimed at increasing protections for incarcerated transgender people. Supporters say the bill could become one of the strongest state laws in the country governing the safety and treatment of trans prisoners.
This bill was introduced at a tense time nationally. Under President Donald Trump, federal authorities have pursued policies targeting transgender people in custody, including efforts to limit gender-affirming care and roll back protections tied to gender discrimination. Prison Rape Elimination Act. Vermont’s proposal is in direct opposition to that change.
Under H.550, prison staff will be required to respect inmates’ gender identities and receive gender-responsive training. The measure also recognizes that transgender prisoners are at increased risk of harassment, assault, and abuse in prison.
The bill would give incarcerated transgender people the power to request placement in facilities that align with their gender identity. These decisions will involve medical and mental health professionals with experience in gender-affirming care.
In some cases, Vermont may transfer inmates to facilities in other states. Colorado recently established a housing unit specifically for transgender women, an approach that advocates argue is a safer option for vulnerable prisoners.
The bill also directs Vermont officials to continue adhering to pre-Trump federal standards protecting transgender prisoners, even as those protections face challenges nationwide.
Notably, the bill passed with bipartisan support, including support from a majority of Republican senators. The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who is expected to sign it into law given his past support for LGBTQ+ protections.
Debate in the full Senate gets ugly.
The bill’s passage comes just days after the Vermont Senate sparked statewide outrage.
During the debate on the animal cruelty bill, Republican state Sen. Stephen Heffernan spoke on the Senate floor and compared transgender identity to bestiality.
“In these crazy times, what happens if an individual identifies as an animal and has sex with an animal?” Heffernan asked during debate on House Bill 578. “We voted to pass Proposition 4, so if it passes in this state, and I have a gender identity that identifies as a dog, and I have sex with my dog, will this law affect me?”
Democratic Sen. Tanya Vykhovsky responded calmly, repeating the bill’s language.
“Our current proposed bill makes it clear that any act between a human and an animal that involves contact between a human mouth, genitals, or anus and an animal’s mouth, genitals, or anus without a legitimate veterinary purpose would be a crime.”
Mr. Heffernan continued with the comparison.
“If I identify as that animal, can I do this? … It says human, but I’m not a human. I identify as this animal having sex,” he said. “We identify as a gender, and whatever gender you want to be, I think I like this bill. I’m going to vote yes on this bill, but I want to let this chamber know what’s going to happen.”
The exchange quickly drew condemnation from fellow lawmakers and LGBTQ+ advocates, who accused Heffernan of exploiting long-standing anti-transgender tropes aimed at portraying gay people as dangerous or deviant.
“Senator Heffernan knew exactly what he was doing,” Vykhovsky later said in a statement. “Senator Heffernan is using the same dehumanizing tactic that has been used against LGBTQ+ people for generations: the false and ugly suggestion that queer and trans identities are synonymous with deviance and harm. It was wrong then and it is wrong now.”
Vermont Democrats rally for LGBTQ+ protections
This controversy also reignited debate regarding Proposal 4a proposed constitutional amendment that would formally protect Vermonters from discrimination based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
Notably, earlier this year, Heffernan left the Senate floor before lawmakers voted on the amendment. The measure ultimately passed 29-0 while he was marked absent.
Mr Heffernan said at the time: VTDigger The timing was fortuitous.
“I think my pizza hit at the right time,” he said, describing the moment as “convenient.”
Following last week’s comments, Vermont Senate Democrats issued a statement harshly criticizing the senator and urging voters to support Proposition 4 in November.
“Transgender and nonbinary Vermonters are our neighbors, friends, and members of our family,” the statement reads. “On Friday, Sen. Heffernan used his position as an elected official representing the people of Vermont to dehumanize Vermonters.”
State Sen. Kesha Lamb Hinsdale also addressed the broader landscape surrounding anti-transgender rhetoric in politics.
“Many people in this country live in fear because of the words that are being said every day by someone with the power of the pen and the power of the military,” Hinsdale said. “That’s why [speech] Being protected does not mean that it is worthy of this institution, nor does it mean that it is worthy of the office we hold or the power we exercise in the lives of Vermonters. ”
For many LGBTQ+ advocates, the split-screen moment unfolding in Vermont speaks to a larger story unfolding across the country. While some lawmakers continue to engage in inflammatory rhetoric against transgender people, others are moving to expand legal protections in concrete ways.
And in Vermont, protections appear to be winning votes, at least for now.
Source: Gayety – gayety.com
