Athletics is showing itself to be a popular route for introducing conversations surrounding the validity of trans-identities in public discourse. Whether it be at a school board meeting, in state and national legislatures or on social media, people in the U.S. are becoming comfortable sharing their thoughts on how society should legislate the rights of transgender individuals. While bringing issues of discrimination to public consciousness is an important step in fighting against legislation that limits opportunities of trans youth, our access to opinions is endless and giving a platform to those who want to delegitimize the identity of trans youth has widespread implications.
An Indiana bill passed the state Senate on March 1, issuing a ban limiting transgender girls from participating in girls sports within Indiana’s K-12 schools. Last week in Iowa, Gov. Reynolds passed a bill prohibiting transgender girls and women from participating in girls sports from kindergarten through college. Iowa joined “10 other GOP-led states in limiting transgender students’ ability to participate in school sports. All 11 states passed such measures in the past two years.”
Not only does the limiting of trans girls from participating in girls sports enforce a double standard of gendered legislation, it invalidates the gender identity of trans girls and women by only acknowledging the assumed athletic advantages and disadvantages they were socially assigned at birth. The Indiana bill was directly met with criticism from Jay Brown, the senior VP of programs, research and training at The Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
Brown urged that, “When lawmakers discuss bills banning transgender and non-binary youth from accessing medical care, playing school sports or using restrooms, it sends a message that even from an early age transgender and non-binary people are different and unwelcome.”
During Joe Biden’s State of the Union address he spoke to the current legislative battles over trans rights. Biden’s speech included, “…for our LGBTQ+ Americans, let’s finally get the bipartisan Equality Act to my desk. The onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is wrong.” While Joe Biden doesn’t carry personal perspective regarding this issue, having the President of the U.S. support an identity group that is facing discrimination in the media can provide moral guidence for the nation.
The Equality Act aims to “prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit and jury service.” This bill would serve as a counter to the State legislation surrounding athletic participation, and set a necessary precedent and starting standard for battling anti-trans discrimination.
Actor and activist, Angelica Ross, addressed Biden while speaking at the LGBTQ State of the Union online. Ross, a trans woman and public figure, urged passage of the Equality Act, but further explained why this issue is so pressing. She spoke to Biden by stating, “we know these issues disproportionately impact the most marginalized among us, so we need our leaders to be doing more to protect our LGBTQ+ community—but most particularly our Black trans sisters and siblings.” She acknowledged the public support, but called for action to be made. The progression of LGBTQ+ rights cannot occur without critical analysis of current policy and legislative stances, and perspectives from activists like Ross are crucial in challenging norms of discrimination. Because systems of oppression have a compounding impact on the most marginalized groups, calling for action supporting black trans women calls for action against multiple systems of power that are in need of dismantling.
Moving forward, those discussing the issues of legislating trans folk, especially trans youth, should take into consideration not only what leaders say, but also the words of individuals like Ross who can offer lived experience.
America has been socialized to define trans individuals as the other, and while our education and socialization are not products of how good we define ourselves to be, we must actively deconstruct our notions of normalcy and abnormality that inform how we treat marginalized populations. The Equality Act serves as a tangible beginning to combating anti trans legislation, and its passage can be seen as the most effective way to fight for LGBTQ+ rights at present by dismantling some of the state legislation actively impacting trans youth today.
