Conservative politicians claim to be at war with "woke" and pass laws that restrict LGBT+ rights, while opinion makers launch boycott campaigns against companies that advocate for LGBT+ emancipation. Extremist groups attempt to disrupt drag queen story hours. The LGBT+ community in the United States is increasingly facing a conservative hate campaign, as observed by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBT+ organisation in the US. For the first time in its 40-year history, HRC has declared a state of emergency.

HRC highlights 75 anti-LGBT+ laws that have been enacted by various state legislatures just this year. The organisation describes these laws, which include prohibitions on drag queen performances, the criminalisation of transgender care for minors, and the ban on discussing sexual orientation in schools, as "unprecedented and dangerous." The organisation states, "The escalating threats faced by millions in our community are not merely observed—they are real, tangible, and dangerous. In many cases, they lead to violence against LGBT+ individuals, forcing families to flee their homes in search of safer states. They are causing a surge in increasing homophobia and transphobia that jeopardizes the safety of each and every one of us."

In addition to the state of emergency, HRC has issued a negative travel advisory for the state of Florida, which is seen as the epicentre of the anti-LGBT+ campaign. HRC has also published a handbook providing information on how citizens can challenge legislation.

International Impact

However, the rhetoric in the US does not stay within its borders. This rhetoric has now crossed the ocean. In Bruges (Belgium) and Rotterdam (Netherlands), drag queen story hours were disrupted by far-right youths carrying signs saying, "gender ideology is paedophilia." In the Netherlands, the far-right party Forum for Democracy calls for the banning of Pride events and drag queen performances for minors. In the French city of Toulouse, a drag queen story hour had to be restricted to those aged 18+ due to pressure from right-wing organizations. In Spain, a member of Congress spoke about the "alarming increase in cases of homosexuality and transsexuality," which she believes are the result of "government indoctrination."

Furthermore, in Africa, Christian conservative organisations, sponsored with funds from the US and Europe, are pushing for the adoption of anti-LGBT+ laws. The most recent example is Uganda, where homosexuality is punishable by death in some cases.