I live in Chesterfield County and am writing to say that I strongly oppose Action 4905.

Banning trans women from participating in women's sports is not backed by science. Blanket bans do not provide any space to account for nuanced context that impacts an athlete's eligibility, such as how long a trans person has been medically transitioning or whether differences in physical strength matter in a specific sport. Additionally, bans like these place unnecessary scrutiny on cisgender women as well. Any woman who is perceived as not being feminine enough will be vulnerable to harassment and potentially placed in a position where she is forced to defend her gender. When female athletes face allegations that they are ineligible due to sex traits such as hormone levels, the investigation process is often humiliating and violating. A great deal of care should given to lessening harm and preserving athletes' dignity.

Furthermore, banning trans women from accessing gender-segregated spaces such as locker rooms is cruel, unnecessary, and places all women in greater danger of scrutiny and harassment. Trans women are not a danger to cisgender women. Trans women have used single-sex spaces such as locker rooms and bathrooms for decades without issue. Trans women deserve the same respect and security as cis women. Additionally, trans people are a small minority and bathroom/locker room bans frequently affect cisgender people as well. How is a ban like this supposed to be policed? Should a cisgender woman who's taller than average or who has short hair be required to use the men's locker room because other women might mistake her for a man? Will women be required to show their genitals if their presence in a women's locker room is challenged? As someone who was assigned female at birth who has a more masculine gender expression, policies like these make me feel much less safe. Trans women have never made me feel unsafe.

I am dismayed to see trans women used as a political scapegoat. These types of policies are not based on science or a clearly-identified problem but are an effort to divide us. Trans people are not a threat to women's safety, and deserve fair consideration when it comes to eligibility in sports. I urge you to vote "no" on Action 4905.