At the start of next year's legislative session, advocates are urging state lawmakers to protect the LGBTQ+ community.
Some of their top priorities include establishing a shield law to protect gender-affirming care, expanding gender markers for Hawaiʻi birth certificates, and mandating an accurate count of hate crimes in Hawai‘i.
This comes after a slew of executive orders from President Donald Trump that have banned trans people from the military, revoked federal diversity, equity and inclusion practices, and tried to end gender-affirming care for people under 19 years old.
HPR’s Cassie Ordonio reports.
A full text version of this story will be available later today.
