82 anti-trans bills are being introduced at the state level, an unprecedented number representing a nation-wide push by the far-right to deny trans people their rights and access to public spaces - especially trans youth.
We know these bills affect all of us - it's so hard to know that children around the nation are losing rights and access to life-saving healthcare. 
Map highlighting negative sports bills
Map highlighting negative healthcare bills
Maps highlight US states with bills Source: Freedom for All Americans Legislative Tracker
One thing you can do is check if your school district has a policy explicitly providing supportive gender-inclusive guidelines, such as Framingham, MA. Even though the MA State department DESE guidelines are supportive, it’s still incredibly helpful to have school and district level policies. AthleteAlly lays out ten policies which help to create an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ individuals in sports. Between the current national environment and the loss of seasons due to COVID-19, there may be heightened levels of discrimination and prejudice towards trans and nonbinary sports participants, so inclusive policies may be more crucial than ever to making youth feel welcomed and safe.

You may also be having tough conversations with family, coworkers, and friends as this becomes a hot topic which can pop up unexpectedly. These can be painful and upsetting moments, but it can be helpful to know the facts and to be prepared to lay out the reasons why these bills are not only unnecessary, but actively harmful. And we’d like to help prepare you. 
SPORTS
Trans people have played sports at all levels consistent with their gender identity for years

16 states currently have fully inclusive policies, and there are college and professional leagues with trans and nonbinary protections, some as early as 2004. Trans athletes have competed in professional women’s hockey and the Olympics. The NCAA’s trans inclusive policy has existed since 2011, with no disruption to collegiate sports.

545 student athletes feel so strongly in favor of this policy, they signed a letter demanding the NCAA pull championships from states banning trans students. Thousands of schools across the country have successfully implemented policies that treat all youth, including transgender youth, fairly.
Trans athletes do not have an unfair advantage in sports.

Trans athletes vary in ability just like cisgender athletes. Hormones are not a magic ticket to winning - there are a lot of factors in athletic success. Athletes aren’t penalized for having a “biological advantage” from being unusually tall or flexible or amazing eyesight! And there’s also access to training, social and familial support and so much more. 

Physical sex characteristics can vary - and people who are not trans can have hormones levels outside of the range considered typical of a cis person of their assigned sex. Monitoring or putting thresholds on things like hormones not only harms transgender and nonbinary individuals, but also impacts all individuals who may not fall within a narrow range - as seen in the case of Castor Seymana.
Current legal rulings and national law supports trans rights

On March 8th the Biden Administration signed “Executive Order on Guaranteeing an Educational Environment Free from Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Including Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity” explicitly naming LGBTQ+ individuals rights to protection in schools, expanding on the Supreme Court decision in Bostock vs Clayton County, which ruled that gender identity is covered under Title IX protections against discrimination

A federal judge blocked a similar law in Idaho stating that it “did not provide sufficient reasons for the law to exist” and would likely be ruled unconstitutional should the ruling be challenged further. Although both national laws and judicial ruling are reassuring, the more bills that can be defeated, the better.
Trans girls are girls - and excluding them helps no one and harms many.

Testing for hormone levels and genitals in anyone, but particularly youth, is invasive, unnecessary, and potentially traumatizing. These new laws and policies invite gender policing that will subject some, and potentially all, young players to invasive tests - and encourage people making accusations that a girl is “too masculine” or “too good” at their sport to be a “real” woman. Too many times trans children have been told they are not a “real” boy or girl - and nonbinary children are told they must pick.

Arguments for these policies reinforce stereotypes that women are weak and in need of protection. No child is in need of protection from another child on the basis of their gender identity. The real motive is never about protection — it’s about excluding trans people from yet another public space.
 
Participation in girls sports actually goes down in states with bans - while states with inclusive policies show no drop. In fact, girl’s sports participation either kept pace or increased beyond that of boy’s sports in those states.
Trans kids belong on the same teams as other students.

Trans people have the same right to play sports as anybody else. Excluding trans people from any space or activity is harmful, particularly for trans youth. The children most affected by these laws are kids who simply want to play sports with their peers and are most in need of supportive social spaces.
Healthcare
Kids aren’t too young to know

Children begin to understand gender very young and typically their gender identity is stable by four years of age
Early care improves long-term mental health

Trans and nonbinary children who have socially transitioned demonstrate comparable levels of self-worth and depression as cisgender children, and statistics have shown that puberty blockers reduces the odds of both suicide ideation and psychological distress.
Gender affirming care is medical care.

Medical care is private and is between kids, their caregiver/guardian and their medical professional. It is a process which is driven by the child, for the child and is supported and guided by the adults in their life.
Puberty Blockers are established, safe and reversible

It’s easy to make something unfamiliar and medical seems scary - but puberty blockers are safe and have been used for many years. Puberty blockers put a temporary hold on the physical experience of puberty - allowing kids extra time to explore their gender identity without unwanted and distressing developments.
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Your own health is important and some people can’t be convinced - be mindful of your limits and be ready to walk away from a conversation if it isn’t productive.

We are here to support you as a community. If you have any specific questions or want to talk about how these bills impact you and your family please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. 

More Resources
TransAction NH - Current bill has been retained in committee
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