This week read about Elliot Page criticizing Alabama's new bill that could harm trans youths, Alex Berg making her career of covering LGBT-related stories, and California's new bill to gender neutralize children's sections in stores.

Trans Actor Speaks Out Against Proposed Bill

Elliot Page, who came out as transgender in December, is using his platform to stand up for trans youth.

The state of Alabama proposed a new bill that would imprison doctors for up to 10 years if they utilize gender-affirming healthcare to treat transgender children and teens.

“Efforts to criminalize trans kids are deadly and we need to fight back against Alabama’s HB1/SB10. Trans kids’ lives depend on stopping this bill,” Page tweeted on March 5.

Fans left comments below the tweet to show their support for Page and the fight against the bill.

“100%. I'll say it again — children often know who they are well before adults do. Also, gender identity is developed around age 3. Allowing children to take hormone blockers when they reach puberty can SAVE LIVES,” one person tweeted.

Queer Journalist Gives a Voice to Countless LGBT Citizens

Alex Berg. Photo via Facebook.

Alex Berg prides herself on giving a voice to LGBT people who have stories to tell.

She has interviewed thousands of people over the course of her career and is now the host of LGBTQ Nation’s new podcast.

“Every issue is an issue that impacts LGBTQ people,” Berg told to LGBTQ Nation.

At the start of her career, Berg battled with editors to publish LGBT-centered stories.

“Early in her career, she said she had to spend a great deal of time trying to convince editors that LGBTQ issues were worth covering at all, that they were not a niche topic, and that there were not a finite number of stories to tell,” according to LGBTQ Nation.

Now, Berg is working in queer media and loving how LGBT issues are never invalidated by her co-workers or bosses.

“It’s such a special responsibility to have when you’re talking about really intimate personal stories about identity, about people’s bodies, about autonomy, and then getting to help people understand them better through your writing. That’s something that has really attracted me to journalism,” Berg said.

New California Bill May Create and Enforce Gender-Neutral Kids’ Sections in Stores

Photo via Pixabay.

A new bill to prohibit dividing children’s sections in stores by gender is being debated in California right now.

The bill would cover toys and other products, but not clothing.

According to The Advocate, the proposal was introduced on Feb. 18, and if passed, will go into effect January 1, 2024. It will come with a fine of $1,000 for violations.

The bill’s co-author, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, believes that gender-neutral options in stores will allow children to flourish in whatever they find interesting.

“We should allow our kids to explore and try different things and let them come to their own conclusion of how they will identify themselves,” she told The Advocate.

Each week ‘Beyond the G’ looks at news featuring the many letters of our LGBTQIA+ spectrum.