California has added five more states to the list of places where state-funded travel is banned because of laws that discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community. New to the lengthy list, which now has 17 states, are Florida, Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia.

“Make no mistake, we’re in the midst of an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country – and the State of California is not going to support it,” said Democratic state attorney general Rob Bonta.

Lawmakers in 2016 banned non-essential travel for state employees, except under limited circumstances, to states with laws that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The 12 other states on the list are: Texas, Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

The five states newly added to the list have introduced bills in their legislatures this year that prevent transgender women and girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity, block access to health care, and allow the discrimination of the LGBTQ community, Bonta said.

Florida, Montana, Arkansas, and West Virginia passed laws that prevent transgender women and girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity.

North Dakota signed into law a bill allowing certain publicly funded student organizations to restrict LGBTQ students from joining without losing funding.

And Arkansas passed the first law in the nation to prohibit physicians from providing gender-affirming healthcare to transgender minors – regardless of the wishes of parents or whether a physician deems such care to be medically necessary.

These lawmakers “would rather demonize trans youth than focus on solving real issues like tackling gun violence, beating back this pandemic, and rebuilding our economy,” Bonta said.

The state law has exemptions for some trips, such as travel needed to enforce California law and to honour contracts signed before the states were added to the list. Travel to conferences or out-of-state training are examples of trips that can be blocked.

It’s unclear what effect California’s travel ban will have. Bonta did not have information about how many state agencies have stopped sending state employees to the states on the list or the financial impact of California’s travel ban on those states.