June 1, 2022

White House marks Pride Month amid wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation

WATCH: White House issues Pride Month proclamation

The White House says it will celebrate Pride Month this June by signaling support for the LGBTQ community and their families amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

There have been more than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills proposed in at least 28 states this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Eight states have signed such bills into law this year.

President Joe Biden has condemned the rapid spread of these bills.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FILE
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk through the Cross Hall lit with rainbow colors following an event commemorating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the East Room of the White House on June 25, 2021 in Washington, D.C.

“These bills are targeting kids in classrooms and families in their homes, which is why this Pride Month we will be focused on protecting, uplifting, and supporting LGBTQI+ children and families,” a White House spokesperson said about Biden’s Pride plans.

MORE: Amid anti-LGBTQ efforts, transgender community finds joy in 'chosen families'

The White House says it is “laser-focused” on fighting back against the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation and supporting LGBTQ community members and their families.

Molly Riley/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
The White House is blanketed in rainbow colors symbolizing LGBT pride in Washington on June 26, 2015. The US Supreme Court ruled Friday that gay marriage is a nationwide right, a landmark decision in one of the most keenly awaited announcements in decades and sparking scenes of jubilation.

Many of the bills or policies target LGBTQ youth. In some cases, like in Alabama, families and healthcare providers of transgender youth can be criminalized for providing gender-affirming care.

The Alabama bill's sponsor, Republican state Sen. Shay Shelnutt, has called gender-affirming health care, "child abuse."

MORE: Advocates warn legislation could harm LGBTQ youth mental health

A growing number of states have introduced legislation that LGBTQ advocates say targets transgender youth and their access to school sports and gender-affirming health care.

To combat such legislation, the Biden administration is calling on Congress to pass the Equality Act. The legislation would expand federal civil rights law to prohibit LGBTQ and gender identity discrimination in public accommodations.

The Biden administration has been behind several progressive steps for the LGBTQ community, including the first use of the gender-neutral gender marker on passports by the State Department and the reversal of the Trump era rule that Title IX does not protect LGBTQ students.