Change.org - LGBTQ sports in MI

Michigan is the most recent battlefield in a culture war for the rights of trans youth. Conservative politicians want to force a bill that would ban trans athletes from participating in sports based on their gender identity. As a young trans person himself, Arly is fighting back. He believes trans athletes deserve the rights afforded to all other students. Sign Arly’s petition to send a message to senators that trans kids belong to our communities, and should be protected as such. Keep Trans Kids in Sports Aligned With Their Gender Identity 1,883 have signed Arly Johnson’s petition. Let’s get to 2,500!

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I am a young transgender person living in Michigan; I refuse to stand by and watch my elected officials push a bill that is so blatantly transphobic. Being trans* in any capacity can be a daunting and scary experience, let alone in a state with conservative-majorities both in the government and in the population. Every day I walk out my door, I have the nagging worry that I might not come home safe or possibly at all. I will use my voice to speak out against injustices for not only myself and my fellow trans* individuals, but for those who no longer can. Senate Bill 0218 (2021) aims to prohibit trans students from participating in sports based on their gender identity, but instead require that only those assigned male at birth may participate on boy’s/men’s teams and only those assigned female at birth may participate on girl’s/women’s teams. This bill would not only alienate an already marginalized and endangered group of people, but will greatly impact students’ mental health and take away a safe space for students to freely exist outside of school. Senator Theis argues that allowing transgender girls and women to participate in sports for girls/women goes against Title IX; she goes on to say "Identity politics threatens all that was sacrificed and gained." (quoted from Detroit Free Press, Mar 10 2021). A main argument of conservatives and transphobes is that cisgender women and girls are losing opportunities, using a lawsuit against school districts in Connecticut that directly targets two transgender athletes that have won a combined 15 state championship races between 2017 and 2020. The lawsuit argues that the two students "deprived [cisgender girls] of track titles and scholarship opportunities." (quoted from Associate Press, Feb 12 2020). An important thing to remember: transgender girls and women are just that - girls and women. The Connecticut case is currently awaiting a decision, with the two transgender students issuing statements standing up for their rights to compete in sports aligning with their gender identity. Beyond this case, there are little to no instances of transgender athletes improperly winning awards or having an unfair advantage over their cisgender counterparts. Don’t allow Michigan to be added to the growing list of states that place further restrictions on transgender individuals, speak up against the continued mistreatment and discrimination that transgender people of all ages face.

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