Loading Error Loading: Transgender Rights and the GOP Candidates in Missouri

In the lead-up to Missouri’s primary election, several Republican candidates running for the highest offices have secured crucial support from former President Donald Trump, a boost for their candidacies that have all promised to further restrict LGBTQ+ rights in the state.

Missouri’s Anti-Trans Laws

Missouri has already enacted several anti-trans laws, including a ban on transgender youth participating in sports consistent with their gender identity and a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, incarcerated individuals, and Medicaid recipients.

Trump’s Endorsements

Trump endorsed three candidates for governor: state Sen. Bill Eigel, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, praising them as “MAGA and America First all the way.”

Trump also endorsed both GOP candidates for attorney general: incumbent Andrew Bailey and Will Scharf, an attorney who helped secure a ruling giving Trump immunity from criminal prosecution.

Candidates’ Anti-LGBTQ+ Records

Each of the candidates Trump endorsed has a history of supporting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, sharing misleading anti-trans rhetoric, and targeting transgender youth.

The State Attorney General Race

Bailey, the incumbent attorney general, is a prominent crusader against transgender rights.

In April 2023, he signed an emergency rule imposing broad and burdensome requirements on transgender youth and adults seeking gender-affirming care.

Bailey has also launched investigations into clinics providing gender-affirming care and has been involved in attempts to obtain private medical information.

Scharf, Bailey’s opponent, shares many of his views on LGBTQ+ issues, supporting a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and opposing transgender athletes in women’s sports.

The Gubernatorial Race

The three Trump-backed gubernatorial candidates have varying stances on transgender rights.

Eigel has taken the most extreme position, comparing “transgender ideology” to “child abuse” and suggesting an expansion of the ban on gender-affirming care to include adults.

Kehoe and Ashcroft have supported bans on transition care for minors and the sports ban but have expressed some reservations about Bailey’s emergency order.

The Impact of the Election

If any of the Trump-endorsed candidates are elected, it could lead to even more stringent anti-trans policies in Missouri.

LGBTQ+ advocates are concerned about the potential consequences for transgender youth and adults seeking gender-affirming care.

Conclusion

The upcoming primary election in Missouri is a critical juncture for transgender rights in the state.

The outcome of the election will have significant implications for the ability of transgender people to live freely and authentically in Missouri.