Another Assault on Trans Rights as States Push Harmful Bills

Foreign Office/Flickr

Robert Crohan/Staff Writer

The Republican party sure loves double standards.

For years, it has talked of getting meaningful things done as the American people suffer at the hands of Democratic leadership. By promoting economic, social and personal freedoms, the GOP has branded itself as the more productive party that would stick up for everyone.

However, recent actions by Republican state legislatures in half of our states have tainted that notion. Instead of protecting the privacy of transgender youth, Republicans are trying to enable genital checks. Instead of promoting social acceptance, Republicans are dictating what team transgender youth can play on. Instead of committing to family values, Republicans are trying to tear transgender youth away from their parents. 

The list goes on. Here in Florida, an amended version of SB 1028 would ban transgender youth from competing on the sports team of their gender identity. It passed the Senate and may be approved by Governor DeSantis. It, however, represents a less strict version from the House-passed bill HB 1475, which would horrifyingly give schools the green light to perform invasive genital checks of those deemed suspicious.

Sadly, such actions no longer surprise me. Transgender rights have come under egregious attack in recent years as Americans rise up and demand full equality for all races, religious groups, genders and sexual orientations. However, with the largest proportion of transgender Americans coming from younger age groups, and the LGBTQA+-identifying population increasing, politicians must become comfortable with these conversations, whether they like it or not.

In tackling the bills, each broad subject needs to be discussed, as well as its effect on transgender youth.

The Republican arguments imply that allowing equality in sports would unfairly place cisgender athletes at a disadvantage. However, as I can attest from my high school athletic experience, being assigned male at birth (AMAB) does not automatically make one stronger than someone assigned female at birth (AFAB).

Plus, the rhetoric is “bioessentialist and misogynistic,” according to FIU student activist Rosen T. Gordon. Zhe further explained how when zhe was cleared to compete against cisgender boys, “no student athletes, coaches, or audience members had a problem.” The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has an elaborate process for transgender students to compete on the team of their gender identity, which includes documentation proving “consistent identity and expression.”

Going further, Gordon discussed the impact of bills like Florida’s HB 1475 and SB 2012: “Pushing trans girls and nonbinary kids who were AMAB out of K-12 sports gives them less opportunity to develop their skills to play collegiate sports.” “Kids deserve to compete in divisions that affirm their gender, including divisions that are gendered and divisions open to all genders.”

The need for more divisions that are open to all genders to be inclusive for nonbinary people was highlighted in our exchange. Republicans may argue that society need not adjust everything in order to accommodate people who are different, but the current state of affairs has left many with trauma and life-threatening experiences.

Some states aren’t stopping there. In Arkansas, for example, transition care access will be banned for trans youth, which includes hormone therapy, transition-related surgeries and puberty blockers. This has forced some, including a transgender boy’s family, to flee the state in a panic. Should every bill of this nature be implemented, 45,100 trans youth could lose their care.

Medical arguments illustrate a GOP consumed by fear over facts: a study published in JAMA Journal shows that gender-affirming surgeries provide mental health benefits including limited psychological distress, fewer suicidal thoughts, and less tobacco usage. It not only helps trans people complete their transition, but it helps patients feel more comfortable in their bodies and possibly less of a target for discrimination.

Top medical leaders like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association have opposed these bills. Plus, access to gender-affirming care has been linked to improved functioning and well-being among trans youth that last into adulthood. This is demonstrated in reduced suicidal tendencies among trans people in states where health insurance discrimination is outlawed.

Republicans have also pointed to the potential for trans youth to regret their transition later in life. But what these points ignore is the ability of treatment providers to give families and youth the proper information and resources to make the best decisions.

Not to mention the economic and legal pain that these bills would cause for states that love to flout their economies.

Quite frankly, it is not in cisgender peoples’ position to judge the experiences and identities of transgender people. This is not a sudden revelation, as transgenderism is an inherent part of humanity that has existed in communities for all of time.

These bills have revealed the ugliest tendencies in statehouses coast to coast. Even Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas deemed his state’s bill too empowering for state government, which calls into question the GOP’s commitment to personal freedoms.

Making a more inclusive environment for trans people begins with education and empowerment, which advocates have been engaging in for years in this defining struggle for freedom. Although defeating these bills might be unfeasible, there is still much to be done that can defeat transphobia once and for all.

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

Photo by Foreign Office on Flickr

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