JANM Denounces Rise in Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) denounces the recent rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. According to the Human Rights Campaign, over 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures and seventy anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been enacted in 2023. Most recently, the US Supreme Court ruled that conservative Christian businesses have the right to refuse services for same-sex marriages. The court agreed with a Colorado-based graphic artist who did not want to design websites for same-sex couples.

“We are incredibly disturbed by the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, which increases widespread discrimination against the community across the nation, rolls back years of civil rights protections, and encourages destructive activities against the community now and in the future, such as banning books about the LGBTQ+ community, boycotting businesses that promote Pride Month celebrations, restricting education about gender and sexuality, denying healthcare to trans people, and more. As an institution that promotes diversity and inclusion through the Japanese American experience, JANM stands alongside the LGBTQ+ community,” said George Takei, Chair Emeritus and a member of the JANM Board of Trustees.

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