GOP lawmaker wants to ban private companies from refusing to work with anti-trans businesses

A new bill in Missouri seeks to ban companies that do business with the state from cutting ties with other companies that don’t support trans rights.

Senate Bill 1061, introduced by Missouri state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R), states that “a public entity shall not enter into a contract with a company… unless the contract includes a written certification that the company is not currently engaged in and shall not, for the duration of the contract, engage in any kind of economic boycott.”

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It lists several examples of an economic boycott, which includes refusing to work with a company because it “does not facilitate, is not expected to facilitate, or does not commit to facilitate access to abortion, sex or gender change, or transgender surgery or medical treatments.”

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The bill also defines “public entity” as both the state of Missouri and “any political subdivision.” According to trans activist and journalist Erin Reed, this means entities like public schools, city governments, county governments, and public libraries could all be affected should the bill become law.

Reed also pointed out that similar bills have been proposed in six other states over the past year, though none have passed. But she warned that Republicans will likely continue targeting companies who do not agree with their policies.

“Increasingly, Republicans are mobilizing state law and enforcement efforts against corporate activism when it does not agree with the Republican platform,” she wrote. “Despite claiming to be in favor of ‘absolute free speech’ and ‘less regulations,’ these supposed values do not clearly apply when companies choose to protect LGBTQ+ people.”

This is far from the first time this year the Missouri government has attacked trans rights.

In June, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) signed two anti-trans bills targeting kids into law on the same day. One banned gender-affirming care for trans youth, and the other banned trans women and girls from playing on women’s sports teams.

The state’s attorney general, Andrew Bailey, also made it his mission to ban gender-affirming care in the state. In March, he announced a regulation imposing severe restrictions on gender-affirming care. Soon after, a judge temporarily halted the rule, which critics said could force trans adults and young people to de-transition.

Bailey ultimately dropped the rule, saying he did so because the legislature had passed its own ban. But state House Minority Leader Crystal Quade (D) believes Bailey actually dropped the rule because he knew it was unconstitutional.

After the legislature passed its ban, Bailey was mocked for not understanding the role of police after asking the Kansas City Missouri Police Department to enforce the law, which is outside their jurisdiction.