Chris Christie signs transgender rights bills into law
Chris Christie has bucked the trend for Republicans by signing two pro-trans bills into law.
The embattled Governor of New Jersey, who faces a Democratic-controlled state legislature,Ā took aback many of his party colleagues with the announcement last week.
While Republicans across the country have pushed anti-LGBT legislation aimed at rolling back transgender rights, Christie signed a bill enshrining vital protections into law.
One of the new laws seeks to establish aĀ “supportive and nondiscriminatory environment” for transgender childrenĀ in New Jersey’s schools, establishing a clear non-discrimination policyĀ and making sure that trans kids are treated in accordance with their gender identity.
The second law is targeted at healthcare provisions, and Ā prohibits health insurers and medical practitioners from refusing service or coverage to someone because they are transgender.
According to ThinkProgress, it comes after a New Jersey Catholic hospital refused to carry out a hysterectomy procedure on a transgender man on the grounds of religion. The procedure is routinely carried out on cisgender women.
Crucially, the new protections also prevent insurers from treating being transgender as a pre-existing condition, which secured more affordable healthcare.
By putting pen to paper on the laws, Christie takes a divergent path to other Republican Governors. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has splashed out on a special legislature session in order to railroad through anti-trans laws.
In contrast, Christie has said he would likely refuse to sign into law any anti-trans ‘bathroom bill’.
Referring to North Carolina’s car crash anti-trans law, heĀ said: “It strikes me as not something I’d sign here in New Jersey. But I don’t know all the specifics of it.”
Christie has made other moderate concessions on LGBT rights in the past – refusing to waste money defending a gay marriage ban,Ā opposing anti-LGBT ‘religious freedom’ laws, andĀ signing a law to ban ‘gay cure’ therapy.
When a court ruled in favour of equal marriage, Christie – who had battled against the ruling – said: “The Governor will do his constitutional duty and ensure his Administration enforces the law as dictated by the New Jersey Supreme Court.”
He was branded a ‘traitor’ by the anti-LGBT movement.
Brian Brown of the National Organisation for Marriage said at the time: “The mark of a leader is to walk a principled walk no matter the difficulty of the path.
“Chris Christie has failed the test, abandoning both voters and the core institution of society ā marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
“Governor Christieās decision to surrender on marriage reveals him to be a man who lacks the courage of his supposed convictions.
“As far as we are concerned, itās a disqualifying failure. His surrender on marriage effectively surrenders any chance he might have had to secure the GOP nomination for president.”
