A Missouri Republican proposed legislation that, if passed, could imprison teachers who support transgender students, the latest in a string of bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community nationwide. Representative Jamie Ray Gragg last week introduced House Bill 2885, which would charge teachers who provide support to a transgender student’s social transition with a class E felony. If the bill becomes law, teachers or school counselors who support a transgender student’s transition could face a $10,000 fine, imprisonment and may be forced to register as a sex offender. Conservative lawmakers across the United States have introduced policies that critics say unjustly target the transgender community, including bills blocking access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth and limiting discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), at least 471 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced thus far in the 2024 legislative year.