A coalition of legal and policy experts, women’s advocates, educational associations, civil rights groups, and equality proponents have expressed strong opposition to proposed legislation that targets transgender youth. These bills aim to ban transgender students from participating in school sports and restrict access to medical care that follows best practices. The coalition warns that such measures would contribute to discrimination and mistreatment of an already vulnerable group.
Lawmakers in several states are proposing bills that would prevent transgender youth from participating in K-12 sports or receiving medical care aligned with recommendations from medical professionals. The coalition argues that transgender children already face significant challenges, including bullying and discrimination in public spaces and healthcare. These new bills would exacerbate those difficulties, increasing the risk of harassment and abuse.
The coalition highlights the importance of sports and fitness for young people, noting that participation teaches vital life skills such as leadership, confidence, and teamwork. Transgender youth, like all children, want to be part of a team and feel a sense of belonging. Excluding them from sports due to their gender identity denies them these valuable experiences.
In addition, the proposed restrictions on medical care for transgender youth are described as some of the most extreme attacks on this community in recent memory. These bills would criminalize medical care that is supported by leading health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. The coalition emphasizes that medical decisions should be made by doctors and patients, not by politicians, and that such legislation would jeopardize the well-being of transgender youth.
The coalition also points to data showing that LGBTQ people of color, particularly Black and Indigenous individuals, experience higher rates of discrimination. They argue that preventing these legislative bans is essential to protecting these especially vulnerable groups.
In their statement, the coalition urges lawmakers to focus on pressing issues such as the pandemic, vaccinations, and the economy, rather than enacting laws that harm transgender youth. They advocate for treating all young people, including transgender children, with dignity and respect. The coalition envisions a future where no young American is subjected to discrimination based on their identity, allowing them to thrive and contribute their talents to society.
Signed,
ADL (the Anti-Defamation League)
Advocates for Youth
Alaskans Together For Equality
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Association of University Women (AAUW)
American Atheists
Athlete Ally
Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF)
Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative
Black Transmen of Ohio
California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
Campaign for Southern Equality
Catholics for Choice
Center for American Progress
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR)
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Chicago Foundation for Women
Children Now
Children’s Advocacy Alliance
Civil Liberties & Public Policy
Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Community Catalyst
CrescentCare
Equality California
Equality Delaware
Equality Federation
Equality New Mexico
Equality Ohio Education Fund
Equality Utah
EverThrive Illinois
Family Equality
Feminist Majority Foundation
Fenway Health
FORGE, Inc.
Freedom for All Americans
Freedom Oklahoma
FreeState Justice, Maryland’s LGBTQ Advocates
Gatlyn Dame Group
Gender Justice
Gender Spectrum
Girls Inc.
Girls on the Run International
GLAAD
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality
Global Justice Center
GLSEN
Guttmacher Institute
Holler Health Justice
Howard Brown Health
Impact Fund
ISBLA
Lambda Legal
Legal Voice
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Maine Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
Maine Transgender Network
Maine Women’s Lobby
MARGIES HOPE
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
Mazzoni Center
Minority Veterans of America
Movement Advancement Project
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Coalition for LGBT Health
National Council of Jewish Women
National Equality Action Team (NEAT)
National LGBT Bar Association
National LGBT Cancer Network
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
National Organization for Women
National Women’s Law Center
Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
New Ways Ministry (Roman Catholic)
North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
Northridge Indivisible
Oasis Legal Services
OLÉ
One Colorado
Out and Equal
OutFront Minnesota
OutNebraska
OutSupport Medina Ohio
Pediatric Endocrine Society
People For the American Way
PFLAG National
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Plexus LGBT & Allied Chamber of Commerce
ProgressNow New Mexico
PROMO
Shriver Center on Poverty Law
Silver State Equality-Nevada
Southwest Women’s Law Center
Supermajority
Tennessee Equality Project
The Greenlining Institute
The Trevor Project
Trans Lifeline
TransAthlete.com
TransFamily
Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT)
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund
TransOhio
UltraViolet
Union for Reform Judaism
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
Whitman-Walker Institute
Women’s Sports Foundation
Wyoming Equality
Youth Forward
