Methodology

Landscape Review & Informational Interviews

Before commencing our analysis, we extensively reviewed a variety of state legislator scorecards, including those from Equality California, Equality Ohio, Equality Texas, Progress Florida, and Florida Watch. This thorough examination not only provided us with insights into different approaches for presenting data but also served as a valuable reference for understanding how other organizations calculated grades for their scorecards. By examining the methodologies and criteria used by these organizations, we were able to refine our approach and establish criteria for building our scorecard. We sought to incorporate elements such as legislative voting records on anti and pro-trans bills, responsiveness to community concerns, sponsorship of pro-trans legislation, and overall commitment to advancing trans-inclusive policies. This holistic approach allowed us to develop a comprehensive and transparent scoring system that accurately reflects legislators' actions and advocacy efforts concerning trans rights and inclusion.

Our project was significantly informed by a series of informational interviews with key figures in the field, including representatives from Erin in the Morning, Equality Federation, Equality Illinois, Equality Ohio, and the creator of translegislation.com. These discussions provided valuable insights into the complexities of anti-trans legislative tracking and advocacy efforts, offering diverse perspectives on methodologies, challenges, and best practices.

From these conversations, we learned about the importance of incorporating committee hearings and vote introductions into our scorecard, as well as practical strategies for bill tracking using platforms like LegiScan and specific keywords. Insights from various organizations highlighted the significance of grassroots partnerships and community engagement in advancing LGBTQIA+ rights and combating discriminatory legislation.

Moreover, discussions underscored the challenges of capturing the impact of bills on intersectional communities and the importance of data-driven advocacy tools in navigating legislative processes. These insights not only shaped our project's direction but also emphasized the critical role of collaboration, community engagement, and self-care practices in advancing LGBTQIA+ rights and fostering inclusive legislative environments.

Data Collection Process

Our voting data is sourced from Legiscan.com, a comprehensive federal and state legislative data aggregator, accessible through API calls or CSV downloads. We obtained CSV files for the 2023-2024 legislative sessions of Illinois and Ohio, focusing our analysis solely on the 2023 bills.

Data Analysis & Scorecard Rubric

The

bills in the analysis⁠

are based on

Erin in the Morning⁠

and

translegislation.com⁠

. We included any bills in those trackers that directly affect transgender individuals. From Illinois, we included 13 bills (5 anti, 8 pro), and from Ohio, we included 10 bills (9 anti, 1 pro). Furthermore, we categorized bills into one of six categories based on the aspect of a transgender person’s life the bill would impact: Bathroom, Education, Healthcare, Military, Social, and Sports."

Based on whether the bills were anti or pro-trans and how a legislator voted, the scoring was calculated as follows:

⁠

⁠

Scores are based on all votes cast on the bill that were available in the LegiScan dataset, including votes in committees and on the floor.

Legislators who Abstained or were Non Voting are scored as equivalent to a “no” vote in the analysis because passing legislation typically requires a “yes” vote by the majority of all legislators, so failing to cast a vote has the same effect as a “no” vote. For example, if a legislator cast five votes on an anti-trans bill as it passed through committees to the floor, their score for the bill will include all five votes; if they voted yes four times and abstained once their pro-trans score would be 20 percent which is an F grade.

Landscape Review & Informational Interviews

Data Collection Process

Data Analysis & Scorecard Rubric

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