LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A new national study finds Arkansas among the 23 lowest states when it comes to laws protecting LGBTQ+ communities.
The findings are in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023 State Equality Index.
Arkansas ranked dead last for LGBTQ+ equality in a recent study
That report scores Arkansas poorly based on its lack of laws supporting LGBTQ+ parents and youth, specifically with health and wellness policies, anti-discrimination and inclusion in hate crime laws. It’s also based on legislation that did pass.
One new law, as of the 2023 session, restricts drag performances in the state by classifying them as adult-oriented businesses. It prohibits the acts on public property or anywhere a minor could view.
Another requires schools to designate bathrooms based on birth-assigned gender. It makes restrooms, changing rooms, and overnight rooms on trips exclusively male or female.
Act 619 also allows criminal penalties to be imposed on adults who use bathrooms or locker rooms consistent with their gender identities.