NY lawmaker calls for travel ban to Utah, other states for anti-trans laws

New York State Assemblymember Daniel

O’Donnell urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to prohibit all non-essential travel to six states that have recently passed bills targeting transgender individuals and the broader LGBTQ+ community.

O’Donnell, who played a leading role in the campaign to pass marriage equality in New York State, wrote a letter to the governor requesting an executive order to ban non-essential state travel to Arkansas, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. The states have enacted legislation that limits gender-affirming care for youth, curtails drag shows, and gives individuals the right to discriminate based on religious beliefs, among other things. O’Donnell argued that these laws pose a clear threat to New York State residents visiting these states and send a message that LGBTQ+ people are not welcome or safe.

New York has taken similar steps in the past, such as when it barred travel to Mississippi in 2016 due to an anti-marriage equality law and restricted travel to North Carolina in response to the state’s transphobic bathroom bill.

In response to O’Donnell’s letter, a spokesperson for Hochul said that the governor “is an ally and steadfast supporter of the trans community, and we will review the letter.”