workshop overview

learning objectives

This workshop builds on the previous workshops to clean and process text based data from current anti-trans legisation. Participants will practice using Python to transform data from a raw and messy format into an analyzable, structured format in a spreadsheet. To manipulate text data into tabular formats, they will work primarily with Python’s built-in “string methods” and the pandas library. Participants will learn how to write custom functions clean this text data in preparation for text analysis.

This workshop introduces:

• the pandas libary for working with tabular data

• string methods in Python for working with text data

• ooping through text data to do things en masse to text

• how to customize functions for data processing

anti-trans legislation

The past couple of years have seen an explosion in anti-trans legislation that restricts basic rights and recognition for trans people. In 2023, more than 500 bills were proposed that prevent trans people from using bathrooms, playing in sports, accessing healthcare, and more in ways that accord with their gender identity. Of those 500 proposals across state legislatures, 87 passed. Compare that number with last year, 2022, 174 bills were proposed, and 26 passed. See the Trans Legislation Tracker for more information.