AR 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION PRESENTS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Ever since its first day on January 9th, the 2023 Arkansas legislative session has been a grueling hellscape that will seemingly never end. The intention of the Republicans in the Capitol is obvious: all Arkansans must adopt the same bigoted, conservative attitudes as the representatives and senators.

Any Arkansan not willing to take up arms in the name of hate is stripped of any tool to embrace the contrary. Want to watch a drag show? No, that’s illegal.

Okay well would you like to equip yourself with the information to stand up against the government on this issue? No, you can’t do that either because your library shouldn’t have LGBTQ+ books.

The buck does not stop at queer books either. Look up SB81 if you’re curious.

Common sense seems to be in the crosshairs of the Arkansas Republican party.

Common sense would obviously say that because drag queens must be corrupting grade school children when they perform in 18+ or 21+ clubs, it is only right to ban drag queens and other drag performers.

SB43 would ban drag queens anywhere in the state including at pride.

The only place they could perform is at “adult entertainment” venues, which have to be so far from public places like churches and parks.

Luckily and importantly, people complained so much through social media posts, phone calls, text messages, emails, and protests that the legislators changed the wording from “drag” performers to those who expose real or prosthetic gentitals—whatever that means.

If one took the time to watch the hearings from inside the Capitol, they might have heard from local drag legend and lobbyist Athena Sinclair, former Miss Gay Arkansas and frequent host of shows at

Triniti and Discovery nightclubs.

She argued that drag artists have to wear layers upon layers to achieve the body silhouette needed for each specific looks.

Legislators arguing that drag performers are the equivalent of exotic dancers is absolutely mindless considering drag performers are putting on more clothes than the average person, not taking them off.

Not even did the bill originally target drag performers, but the language of the bill would have even stopped trans people from doing anything performative in public.

By performative, I don’t mean protesting; I mean karaoke. Karaoke would have been for trans people.

To make things worse, HB1468 would allow school employees to misgender their students and coworkers without any kind of punishment or retaliation. Parallels can certainly be drawn between bill and the Don’t Say Gay Bill in Florida.

Another attack on common sense: SB71.

This bill introduced to the senate would remove incentives for small businesses owned by minorities and women.

It should not be confused in 2023 that women and minorities are already disadvantaged in society. Need I say more?

The same bill would remove the use of affirmative action, which ensures equity in the hiring of state and local government officials.

More attacks on minorities can be seen in HB1156, which would reduce state funds for public schools that allow trans kids to use the bathroom of their gender identity.

SB270 takes anti-trans bathroom bills to a whole new level.

Trans people can be convicted of a state crime for using the bathroom that matches their identity.

SB199 would criminalize doctors who give care to trans kids. Banning healthcare—I’m sure that contributes to the general wellbeing of Arkansas.

Amost half of trans youth already consider attempting suicide. Are we really willing to let kids die because the disgusting Senator Sullivan’s preacher said so? What happened to their staunch, unwavering belief in the sanctity of life?

HB1174 would make it a felony to receive an abortion.

Will it criminalize women who take the seven-hour drive along Interstates 40 and 49 from Little Rock to the nearest Planned Parenthood abortion clinic at 4401 W 109st #100, Overland Park, Kansas, 66211, in the Kansas City metro area for the purposes of receiving an abortion and then traveling back after the procedure?

That’s not completely clear, but probably.

Will it criminalize women who get abortions by pill from www. plancpills.org, which provide safe and effective abortions in the early stages of pregnancy?

It will certainly try, but the state government has no right to surveille your mail, the method through which the pills are distributed.

Will HB1174 criminalizing the act of encouraging or educating people on how to get an abortion?

Most certainly—it says so right there in the bill.

So, if one had the need to get an abortion, and I’m just guessing here, it would be most logical for that person to tell no one, or the least amount of people needed to help them get the abortion.

I would also assume that because states are already prosecuting women for planning abortions on Facebook Messenger, one should discuss plans for an abortion in person and not over the Internet.

These are all hypothetical of course. Also just a guess, but one would also hypothetically want to order abortion pills as soon as possible after discovering they are pregnant because the pills are most effective in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

This option does not come free, but there might be hypothetical non-profits found on the same website that are willing to help cover some of the cost, some even completely covering the cost.

This is all without the mention of what is coming out of the governor’s office.

You should really look it up–it’s pretty disgusting. There are plenty of other bills that have been and will be filed that I do not have the time to get into to.

Such an example is the reworking of DHS in HB1442, which would overwhelm and already suffering state department.

If you have made it to the end of my piece, you might feel exhausted. And that is exactly what they want.

If they are able to tear us down and tire us out, then they will be able to pass whatever legislation they want.

We have to stay vigilant. Our lives literally depend on it.

The lives of our trans brothers and sisters depend upon it.

The lives of women depends on it.

You may feel tired, but we can take a break when they have been voted out.

Other than wearing us out, they want to dictate what we think. Defunding schools who do not fall in line with the morals of the legislators: they are leveraging our tax dollars against political opponents.

Also have you noticed none of this affects cisgender straight white men.

I know people get tired of hearing those four words, but all of these attacks have been against queer people, people of color, and women.

Make no mistake: this is happening because the legislature is overwhelmingly straight, white, and male.

BY OWEN HAYNES