Attack on LGBTQ+ rights: The politics and psychology of a backlash

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a rising star of America's hard-right conservative movement, signs the so-called "Don't Say Gay” bill. The measure limits discussion of gender and sexual identity in the state's classrooms. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP) Some states are seeking to ban school discussion and books that feature LGBTQ issues. Texas is targeting doctors and parents who provide gender-affirming medical care to transgender teenagers. Florida has gone to war against Disney World, after Disney publicly opposed the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" law. All are flashpoints in a historic political and legal campaign targeting LGBTQ+ communities, UC Berkeley scholars say, with hundreds of measures nationwide seeking to limit these groups' rights and even their visibility after a decade of advances.