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That’s the easiest way to put it.
Instead of working to end the pandemic, state legislators in 33 state capitals want to waste time and tax dollars by dehumanizing our kids.
As PFLAGers, we won't abide it.
A coordinated campaign has launched to ban transgender youth from participating in school sports. The ridiculous claim is that banning trans athletes somehow "protects" girls from having to compete against boys.
THE FACTS: Trans girls and women are not a threat to women's sports. In the more than 43 years since trans girls and women have been openly and legally playing on the girls team, and not one sport is dominated by trans athletes. In 2020-21, no trans athletes have athletic scholarships. No trans athletes have won state titles. The reality is, there are many actual documented threats to girls and women's sports. They range from unequal pay to sexual abuse and harassment to a lack of women in leadership positions.
Supporting women's athletics is not an either/or proposition. We can address the real threats AND support trans girls and women's inclusion to ensure every girl and young woman has a chance to play.
BILL CHARACTERISTICS: Trans athlete ban bills often attempt to redefine "gender" specifically in sports and to ban trans kids and young women from participating in school sports -- from kindergarten to college. Penalties range from criminalizing coaches to pulling school funding for affirming a trans athlete's gender and allowing them to play.
But, wait, there's more...
Most of these bills require that girls medically "prove" their gender with internal and external exams in order to play sports in school.
This invasive and degrading "femininity test" puts all girl and women athletes in all sports at risk.
The same coordinated campaign to ban trans kids from playing sports is working to ban trans kids -- and by extension, all trans people -- from accessing gender affirming care. These bills penalize the doctors, therapists, and school staff who support transgender and nonbinary minor children and provide vital health care services to these youth. In some states, they ban insurance companies from covering all gender affirming care.
Yes. You read that right: criminally penalize health workers for helping children and removing health insurance -- in the middle of a pandemic.
Often named something like "The Vulnerable Child Protection Act," these bills put transgender children directly in harm's way. Some versions of these bills even require therapists and school counselors to "out" a trans child to their parents.
As parents and families who would do anything to protect our LGBTQ+ kids, you know how dangerous this can be.
Some bills take it a step further by levying criminal penalties on parents for affirming the gender of their trans children.
These harmful bills must be stopped!
There are no officials for you to contact on Twitter.
These bad bills target trans kids because there is no federal law to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Thanks to two historic court rulings, folks can get married and get and keep a job, but that's it for federal legal protections for LGBTQ+ people -- until the Equality Act is signed into law.
And keep doing the good work to #ProtectTransKids. Share this action on your social feeds and check in with your local PFLAG chapter to get involved in your own community.
The Equality Act would stop bad bills like these by adding LGBTQ+ people to the list of people protected from discrimination under federal law.
And keep doing the good work to #ProtectTransKids. Share this action on your social feeds and check in with your local PFLAG chapter to get involved in your own community.
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