HF 435: Another assault on trans rights and Minnesota law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2025

CONTACT
Noah Parrish, Communications Director
[email protected]
651.432.0171

Today, the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee is hearing HF 435, the second anti-trans bill advanced this session that instructs the state to ignore long-established human rights and anti-discrimination laws, as well as the state constitution. This discriminatory legislation poses grave risks to the dignity and safety of transgender individuals across the state.

In 2023, Gender Justice successfully argued in Lusk v. Department of Corrections that trans women in Minnesota prisons have the right to be housed in facilities that align with their gender identity. A denial of this right is a violation of the MHRA and the state constitution.

In response to HF 435, Iman Hassan, advocacy director at Gender Justice issued the following statement:

“This is yet another patently illegal anti-trans bill, instructing the Department of Corrections to violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act and state constitution. By advancing this bill, lawmakers are willing to disregard decades of anti-discrimination protections to score cheap political points instead of addressing real issues facing Minnesotans.

People who are incarcerated still have human rights. Trans women are not a threat in prisons; rather, they are statistically more likely to be victims of violence and harassment. This deeply dangerous legislation puts vulnerable individuals at even greater risk. We urge lawmakers to reject this harmful bill and reaffirm their commitment to upholding the rights of all Minnesotans.”