Please please please please, for the love of god, stop spreading so much nonsense propaganda and fearmongering. The research so excessively supports trans people's identities. It doesn't matter how you feel about it, this is the reality we live in. Suck it up, you snowflakes. Trans people have literally existed since the dawn of civilization. Crack open a history book or something, educate yourself beyond a 7th grade biology level, educate yourself on the actual psychology of it. Why why why is the world like this? Why are you people so intensely hateful? The only people in danger are trans people, and it's because of all this nonsense. Literally nobody is transitioning so they can go into women's spaces and harm women. That's just not happening. Men just do that already and nobody is stopping them. Even if by some chance being trans isn't a real and valid thing, why do you care? They're literally just people trying to live their lives and be happy. It literally doesn't affect you in any way, shape, or form. Trans people are such a low portion of the population, and trans athletes are a low population of trans people in general. You are not being harmed by trans athletes, you're a hateful fearmonger. I wish you people cared as much about the real atrocities, sexual abuse, and harm that the church commits, as much as you cared about the imaginary harm you've made up to justify hating people. Trans people aren't the problem. You're the problem. Hateful people like you will always be the problem. Trans people are dealing with enough as is, they don't need you constantly being awful and making their lives worse. The rampant nonsensical hatred in this world is honestly sickening. 

This type of regulatory action hurts children, especially younger children who are seeking normalcy, acceptance and the chance to just be a kid, puts schools in unnecessarily difficult positions with students and families, and is making an issue out of something that is simply not an issue for the vast majority of children and teachers in schools. Stop hurting families and making children who are gender expansive the scapegoats for fear-mongering. 

I oppose the proposed ED-14/BOH regulation because it would deny children safe access to the spaces and activities where they thrive and which are central to their mental health, dignity and freedom. Please protect all children in schools and give them a chance to have a normal childhood 

I oppose ED-14/BOH proposed regulation. I’m sorry to say that I believe ignorance 

is driving the support of this horrible regulation.

I oppose the proposed ED-14/BOH regulation because it would deny children safe access to the spaces and activities where they thrive and which are central to their mental health, dignity and freedom. Please protect all children in schools and give them a chance to have a healthy, normal childhood.

All Virginians are entitled to express their gender freely and with dignity. The Virginia Department of Health seeks to humiliate, silence, and erase people who dare to exist outside of their binary conception of gender. This policy doesn’t protect women and girls, it destroys freedom of expression in our schools, athletic programs, and public spaces.

trans women (or anyone) should be allowed to use whichever bathrooms and join whatever sports team best aligns with their gender identity

Forcing transgender women into men’s restrooms and other spaces does not protect women and girls, it endangers them. Virginia has no right to deny its people the freedom of expression and the freedom to live without fear. Villainizing trans people does not stop violence against women, it only perpetuates it.

Is this going to lower our electrical bills? Is this going to lead to more affordable housing? Is this going to ensure that we have affordable healthcare? The answer to these questions is no. This is just propaganda from the far-right to discriminate against people who don’t even make up 10% of our population. Stop putting out policies from your extremist right-wing agenda and get to making policies that will actually help make lives better for all Virginia’s school-aged children. Let’s get to making policies that will ensure our children will be safe from school shootings. Let’s make policies that will pay our educators a living wage. Pushing this legislation is not going to do that. This is also getting old, I hope the administration lets this go and get to actually doing some good governance.

• I'm sickened by the blatant dehumanization and erasure of trans existence. You won't grow a conscience, I know that already. I don't know what a comment like this will even achieve I am just truly sick. Trans people deserve the right to exist because they are PEOPLE. Have you ever felt alone before? Imagine a lifetime of loneliness, that's what it is to exist as a trans or otherwise marginalized individual. It's always the same arguments we must protect the women, we must protect the children. I am the women, and I am the children, and our voice demands this has to end. We are safer together, not separate. Trans women are my allies and my friends. Do something about the ing rapist in the white house if you want to protect women. I am sick.

By forbidding trans women from batherooms and sports teams you are calling to action upon the discrimination of ALL women. Any form of alleging individuals of potential "transgender traits" will be an dangerous form of discrimination using harmful stereotypes and invasive tactics in order to justify one's cisgender or transgender nature. This practice has been used in the past as an attack against ALL WOMEN especially young children and girls. What is to keep women safe from predators taking advantage of this law and using it to justify the undressing of girls and women of all ages? Trans women are real women and shouldn't be used as a scapegoat to promote harmful practices and justify awful laws. 

you you you you

you’re terrible individuals and hell will swallow you whole

This action is unsafe. Forcing a woman, especially a young woman, to use male only spaces or choose male only activities is dangerous, and it does not matter if that woman is trans or not. This is also about acceptance, regulation like this takes away freedom from the people. Me and every other American, trans or not, deserves the right to pursue their own happiness, and to enact this bill is to strip that right away from the trans community. Trans women don't endanger us, so why put them in danger?

Please support these beautiful children finding their way in the world. I want Virginia to stay an open, inclusive and safe place for all kids - including trans kids. Even if you don’t know or understand a trans kid, please know - they’re just kids! Kids that just want to be allowed to safely make their way in the world. 

As a life long Virginia resident I could not be more opposed to this. I will never vote for anyone in favor of this legislation. 

I oppose the proposed ED-14/BOH regulation because it would deny children safe access to the spaces and activities where they thrive and which are central to their mental health, dignity and freedom. Please protect all children in schools and give them a chance to have a healthy, normal childhood.

Stop discriminating against transgender people. These are people who face enough hardship already. Stop targeting them with hate and let them go about their lives peacefully. Why are you so fixated on them? Please focus on other areas of society that need more attention like… hmm gun voilence! 

Focus on something that’s actually hurting kids….like guns. 

Leave trans people alone. I fundamentally disagree with this policy, it has no place in Virginia.

I oppose ED-14/BOH, it is both hateful and divisive 

I oppose the proposed ED-14/BOH regulation because it would deny children safe access to the spaces and activities where they thrive and which are central to their mental health, dignity and freedom. Please protect all children in schools and give them a chance to have a healthy, normal childhood.

I oppose regulation ED-14/BOH. An unnecessary step that will only harm some of the most vulnerable in our community. Our young girls do have many threats in this world - trans kids are not one of them. 

I believe proposition ED-14/BOH is based on fear and the lack of knowledge about trans and other gender expansive youth. These kids have always existed, since the beginning of time, and in this culture they have always been a vulnerable population, subjected to bullying and violence. Gender expansive kids need to be understood and protected.  They need safe access to spaces and activities where they can thrive and be emotionally supported in the same ways as any other child.  They are not the threat here, they are children who deserve safety, joy, dignity and love.  I oppose this proposition and believe that we can do better.

I personally feel uncomfortable with the idea of transgender individuals using restrooms that don’t match the biological sex they were born with. To me, it feels inappropriate, and I believe restroom use should be based on the physical anatomy someone was born with, not their gender identity.

I believe children, especially teenagers, shouldn’t be involved in or exposed to complex topics about gender identity at a young age. They are already going through hormonal changes, school pressures, and family stresses, and adding more confusion can feel overwhelming. I think the conversation comes up, it should be approached carefully and at an age-appropriate time.

this policy only divides our state further and creates unnecessary conflict 

I strongly oppose the proposed ED-14/BOH. This policy would take away spaces and opportunities that are vital for children’s mental health, dignity, and freedom. Every child deserves the chance to grow up in a school environment where they can thrive and experience a healthy, normal childhood.

I oppose the proposed ED-14/BOH regulation. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

1. It is in no way evidence-based. Women and girls are not safer with policies like this. What's more, trans girls and women are less safe; they become targets of increased bullying and violence.
2. It exposes trans youth and young adults, and cisgender people (who are perceived by anyone as masculine due to their presentation), to invasive body checks to be enforced. This is a violation of their privacy, and it inflicts psychological harm on them. 
3. This policy is not rooted in purpose. There are so few trans girls and women in schools and sports in VA. This state regulation is just an excuse to discriminate against and cause harm to trans people. 
4. This regulation denies children safe access to the spaces and activities where they thrive and which are central to their mental health, dignity and freedom. ALL children in schools deserve to be protected and to have the chance to have a healthy, normal childhood.
5. A blanket rule covering anything that may be considered a sport, and all trans girls and women no matter how old, whether they've transitioned etc.,is just nonsensical and unacceptable.   

I oppose the proposed ED-14/BOH regulation because it would deny children safe access to the spaces and activities where they thrive and which are central to their mental health, dignity and freedom. Please protect all children in schools and give them a chance to have a healthy, normal childhood.. Thank you! 

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the NOIRA for 12 VAC 5-660. I appreciate the Board's focus on public health and safety, but I have significant concerns about how this regulation could realistically be enforced. 

Biological sex is not something can be confirmed without invasive or inappropriate methods. Any attempt to enforce sex-specific spaces or activities would place schools, athletic programs, and public facilities in extremely difficult positions - forcing them either to ignore the regulation or to adopt practices that could violate privacy and invite discrimination. 

Without clear, lawful, and non-intrusive enforcement mechanisms, this regulation risks being unworkable and potentially harmful to even individuals who are not transgender. This type of legislation ignores the fact that transgender people are humans who deserve dignity just like anyone else. 

Because no realistic or non-intrusive enforcement method appears possible, I ultimately oppose moving forward with this regulation. 

Equality UUCA is affiliated with the 650 member Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington Virginia and we speak for the inherent worth and dignity of LGBTQIA people. Our congregation has several transgender youth and adults as current congregants as well as transgender people who grew up in this church and came out as transgender children in our midst as many as 30 years ago. Our congregation has a long acquaintance with the real practical tools for managing and respecting gender differences. This proposal is antithetical to everything that we know works from real experience.

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated fairly. There is a nationwide effort by some politicians and interest groups to force transgender people and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks harm us all, whether we’re gay or straight, transgender or not, because they foster discrimination and distract us from the real problems we face. 

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face discrimination because of who they are. Trans people have always been here and always will be. Trans people cannot and will not be erased by this back door manipulation of the health code to obtain a result that could not be obtained in the legislature.

I live in Chesterfield County and I oppose Action 4905.

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated fairly. There is a nationwide effort by some politicians and interest groups to force transgender people and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks harm us all, whether we’re gay or straight, transgender or not, because they foster discrimination and distract us from the real problems we face. 

Rhetoric like this blatant disregard for other’s humanity, does nothing to protect cisgendered women and girls. It only serves to provide cover for those who would use these stupid and insipid guidelines to police the bodies. We’ve seen cisgendered women and girls harassed in public places and being accused of being transgender based on everything from short hair, to body shape, to clothing. Indeed the “we can always tell” crowd have proven time and again that indeed they cannot. So how about we stop spending so much time thinking about what is in other people’s pants and focus on the enumerate actual issues that desperately require attention. 

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face discrimination because of who they are. Trans people have always been here, and always will be. Trans people cannot and will not be erased

I live in Arlington County and I oppose Action 4905.

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated fairly. There is a nationwide effort by some politicians and interest groups to force transgender people and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks harm us all, whether we’re gay or straight, transgender or not, because they foster discrimination and distract us from the real problems we face.

When I travel on a plane, train, or bus, I don’t see anyone complaining when everyone uses the same restroom. 

On this subject, I think that Virginia should address the many other issues and not put forth legislation that affects/discriminates against a very small minority of people based on gender identification.  This legislation is intended to stir up political identity!

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face discrimination because of who they are. Trans people have always been here, and always will be. Trans people cannot and will not be erased. 

I am a Virginia resident, who is a licensed psychologist and a professor involved in training mental health providers. I also have a trans family member. The proposed regulation is not based on any existing health concerns and will not increase safety of women and girls. There is no evidence that having trans individuals participating in sports or using public facilities increases any risk for girls and women. This is clear in the existing published literature and the reports from the department of justice. The risk for girls and women are almost entirely arises from non-trans males. There is clear data that indicates that efforts such as this have a negative impact on the mental health of trans individuals. As a psychologist who has worked for almost 30 years educating and training the next generation of psychologists, I emphasize the importance of health professionals using the evidence-based literature to guide their decisions. I urge you to follow your profession's ethics and follow the science and reject this proposal.

I live in Stafford County and I oppose Action 4905.

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated fairly. There is a nationwide effort by some politicians and interest groups to force transgender people and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks harm us all, whether we’re gay or straight, transgender or not, because they foster discrimination and distract us from the real problems we face. 

As a woman who grew up in Virginia public schools, I have never felt unsafe or harmed by my trans friends. Trans people have always and will always exist and they deserve to have a full school experience without being labeled as harmful or banned from participating in student life like athletics. 

As a parent, I don’t want my children to grow up in a state full of such hate and division. I want them to live in a state that loves and accepts them for who they are. I want my daughter to be protected from the actual dangers that face women like domestic violence and sexual assault especially by those in authority roles like coaches, teachers, and religious leaders. Children deserve protection and safety regardless of how they identify and who they decide to love. 

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face discrimination because of who they are. Trans people have always been here, and always will be. Trans people cannot and will not be erased. 

This action is based on fear mongering and would only serve to restrict the freedoms of transgender bodies and anyone deemed too sexually non conforming by governing bodies. This will not make anyone safer and infact will expose young girls to invasive and inappropriate gender confirmation examinations. These are not the kinds of actions we want in Virginia. Sports and bathrooms can be regulated with simple common sense.

I live in Chesterfield, Virginia. I like it here. However, I'm scared for my friends.

I have friends who are transgender. I have friends with transgender children. I have friends who are intersex. And while it seemed strange at first, I've come to realize that these friends are simply recognizing the scientific reality - that biological sex is not as simple as "male" and "female." Chromosomes, hormones and anatomy all play a role. On top of that, culture and expectations make gender even more complex. Determining who qualifies as "male" is invasive, and frankly, none of everyone else's business!

Health and safety is not about doing a deep dive into someone's medical history. It's about providing safe spaces for everyone, regardless of whether you think they're weird. Do we really want to set up a system where we are concerned with whether a child is "biologically male?" What kind of examination do you plan on doing? 

We should be making sure that ALL children are safe and happy, no matter what you think their "biology" is. Instead of fixating on what locker room a kid is using, I'd like to see a focus on preventing bullying, preventing suicide, and preventing kids from being singled out for being "weird." Targeting transgender children is the opposite of that. It's bigoted, cruel, and scientifically unsound. 

Please, help keep my friends' children safe. 

Please stop promoting multiple genders, curriculum, and surgeries. Our children are not property of the government institutions. The taxpayer money for trans agendas is wrong. Please don’t allow biological women into men’s sports, bathrooms, locker rooms or other facilities. Please don’t allow biological men into women’s sports, bathrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities. The leftist progressive media and politicians are destroying humanity by dividing us by race, gender, religion, education, and economic classes. The last four years were the worst under Biden and the Democrats. Most of the major corporate executives are leftists. 
Please focus on humans by their character, merit, and integrity. 

Restricting trans girls and women from athletics and public spaces is discrimination. It would single out and exclude one small group of people, who have never been shown to be a danger to anyone else, and in fact are more likely to be vulnerable to attacks from cisgender people. Trans women are women, not men. Violence against women and girls is nearly always committed by cisgender men; if you want to make life safer for girls and women, do something to stop rape culture. In addition, policing women’s spaces has been shown to also harm cisgender women, especially those who don’t have a traditionally feminine expression (short hair etc). Everyone, regardless of their identity, deserves equal access to sports and public spaces! 

Trans people make up less than less than 0.002% (10/500,000) of US college athletes. How many are there actually in VA sports? Why is this being focused on when we have actual issues that need to be addressed? If you want to protect kids, let's maybe take a look at doing something about the number one killer of children in this country - guns.

How does one even enforce this discrimination? Will you make an assumption by their outward appearance or will you do something as deplorable as an invasive body check? Tell me how either of those creates safety.

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face discrimination because of who they are. Trans people have always been here, and always will be. Trans people cannot and will not be erased. 

I live in Fairfax County and I oppose ED-14/BOH.

Trans people are integrated into the fabric of our society, they live in our neighborhoods, attend our schools and churches, shop in our local stores, and are our co-workers.  I have trans friends, I have friends with transgender children, and I go to church with trans congregants.  They experience prejudice, stress and fear every day, but they are not a threat to anyone in anyway. They must be allowed to live as their true selves in society in peace. 

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated fairly. There is a nationwide effort by some politicians and interest groups to force transgender people and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks harm us all, whether we’re gay or straight, transgender or not, because they foster discrimination and distract us from the real problems we face. 

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face discrimination because of who they are. Trans people have always been here, and always will be. Trans people cannot and will not be erased.

This proposed regulation is horrific. Trans girls deserve to play with their female peers and experience the benefit of being a part of a team and the friendships and experiences that come along with it. I will never understand how anyone can be OK with girls who are trans being denied participation. It is inhumane and so very cruel.

I live in Richmond City and I oppose Action 4905.

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated fairly. There is a nationwide effort by some politicians and interest groups to force transgender people and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks harm us all, whether we’re gay or straight, transgender or not, because they foster discrimination and distract us from the real problems we face. 

When I was in school, participating in sports gave me so much joy and helped shaped me into the adult that I am proud to be today. I learned how to dedicate myself to a goal and work hard to accomplish it alongside my teammates, some of whom became lifelong friends. I didn’t realize that I was trans until later in life, but I can’t imagine those experiences being taken away from me when they felt so core to my being, my social life, and my education. 

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face discrimination because of who they are. Trans people have always been here, and always will be.

I live in Fairfax County and I oppose Action 4905.

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated fairly. There is a nationwide effort by some politicians and interest groups to force transgender people and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks harm us all, whether we’re gay or straight, transgender or not, because they foster discrimination and distract us from the real problems we face. 

I facilitated an adult PFLAG group and I helped PFLAG create an LGBTQI support group for middle-schoolers. Over the years both groups went from predominantly Lesbian and Gay to nearly all trans kids and their parents.

This Action is not about bathrooms or locker rooms. It's about preventing trans people from being able to live as their authentic selves and be in public places. During Jim Crow, it was never really about the water fountains or swimming pools. It was about preventing Black people from living full lives. It's not about protecting anyone. It's discrimination. If you really want to protect women and girls and children, direct your efforts to stopping rape, domestic violence, and pedophilia. 

I am sorry to hear that transgender athletes harmed the three petitioners by opposing them in their sports and winning. But is this really about harm or is it about fear and misunderstanding? I do not see where transgender people physically or sexually attacked the petitioners. If that did happen, we have laws against assault and rape. So, I do not see where we need a new law.

In sports we cannot always win – we cannot always medal – we cannot always make the team. Life is the same and children need to learn these lessons to prepare themselves for adulthood where there will be losses and disappointments.

I spent twenty-three years as a firefighter. Did I always make the team? No. I lost out to men, but also women, too. Firefighters need to be physically strong like athletes and there are both men and women, males and females who are stronger than others. This is not because of chromosomes, which can be XX, XY, XXX, XXY, etc. This is because of height, weight, and muscle composition that is in our DNA. Some families or individuals have fast-twitch muscles. Some have muscles built more for endurance. But the simple fact of male or female does not make us athletically superior to one another.

What are these petitioners afraid of? I can only guess, but I am sure that they do not understand transgender. Transgender is not an ideology or agenda. It is not political. It is biological. We are born the way we are born. Most people are born with both brains and genitalia that are either male or female. However, some of us are born with gender mismatch. Some of us are born with female brains and male genitalia or vice versa. This is a fact of nature, a scientific fact. We do not choose to be this way, but we may choose to match gender for our own mental wellbeing. Many of us cannot continue to live with this mismatch because societal pressure forces us to conform to a norm, matching brain, and genitalia – transitioning. Those who misunderstand us en mass can stress us to the point of suicide and once we have gone to the edge, we need to take steps to prevent us from going there again. We must conform our bodies and genitalia to our minds and brains.

All this locker-room and bathroom talk is about fear of genitalia and rape, specifically the penis as a weapon. There is fear of male to female transgender people in transition, who have yet to conform their genitalia to their brains. This rhetoric comes from rape culture. Rape culture says that it is not the man’s fault that they rape, because they have a penis, which is a weapon. It is the weapon’s fault, the penis’s fault. All this rhetoric makes girls and women fear male to female transgender people who may possess this weapon – a penis.

The problem with rape culture is that it places the blame on the victim for enticing the attacker in some way from behavior or dress or both. We have laws against rape and assault already on the books and they work. Are all the rape kits getting processed? No, but that is a separate issue from locker-room and bathroom safety.

Once again, I am sorry that these petitioners feel harmed by transgender athletes, because they did not win, or medal, or make the team. Why punish all transgender people because the petitioners lost, did not metal, or make the cut? Life is full of winning-losing. Not all of the fire departments that I applied to hire me. I was beat out by both men and women who made the cut and I did not. I moved on, applying for other jobs. We do not always get jobs we apply for in life. There will be rejection and loss. It is a part of life. Children need to learn how to lose, as well as win. They need to learn this to prepare them for adult life.

Let us talk about harm to transgender people, which is a real thing – not just hurt feelings. Society mistreats transgender people to the extent that they are much more likely to commit suicide than the general population. They are also more likely to have haters beat them up or murder them than the general population, because of fear which becomes hatred.

Male to female transgender people are rightfully concerned about laws forcing them into a men’s locker-room or bathroom. Because most of the violence against transgender people is from men – eighty percent. This is why male to female transgender people prefer the women’s locker-room or bathroom – they feel safer there. They are less likely to have haters gang up on them there than in a men’s facility. No, I am not using rape culture here, saying that transgender people are afraid of rape or penises. I am saying that they fear physical attack and murder, because the statistics are there that they have a higher likelihood of male haters beating or murdering them than the general population. Statistics and science are there on this topic.

Where the statistics or science is not is that all transgender athletes have an advantage over non-transgender athletes. Some transgender athletes have an advantage, but not because they are transgender. It is because of their DNA. They have the height, weight, or muscle composition advantage with which they were born. If all transgender athletes had an advantage, then all of them would be winning, but they are not. Not everyone wins.

These petitioners need to understand that not everyone wins. They may feel that the transgender athletes opposing them had an advantage because they were transgender. I submit that they were simply better athletes. When men and women firefighters made the cut and I did not it was not because they were transgender or were not transgender, they were simply better athletes than I was. You cannot win them all and we need to teach this to our children.

I live in Arlington and I oppose Action 4905. I know and love trans people, and they are not a threat to anyone. Allowing them to compete in sports as they identify has significant, measurable health benefits to them, and shows their teammates that they are just like them. Breaking down discriminatory beliefs is so important.

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Please allow all girls to participate in sports across our Commonwealth. As someone who grew up playing sports in Virginia public schools, I know how much fun and supportive they can be. Don't take that away from anyone.

We have bigger fish to fry. Biological advantage is antiquated and moreover disproved . It is a codeword used to oppress trans people especially trans girls and further sector them from a normal childhood. 

I live in Prince William County and I oppose Action 4905.

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are.

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated fairly. There is a nationwide effort by some politicians and interest groups to force transgender people and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks harm us all, whether we’re gay or straight, transgender or not, because they foster discrimination and distract us from the real problems we face.

This petition is also in direct violation of the Virginia Values Act which is meant to protect transgender people amongst other groups from discrimination. Banning trans women and girls from sports on the basis of being transgender is unlawful discrimination.

This proposed change is also deeply misogynistic as it seeks to only ban trans women and girls from women's sports and ignores trans men. This shows those supporting this vile petition see women as lesser which is blatantly untrue. This petition is discriminatory against transgender and cisgender women. It is using bigoted, hateful ideology and not best medical or ethical principles.

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face discrimination because of who they are. Trans people have always been here, and always will be. Trans people cannot and will not be erased. 

I live in Arlington County and I oppose Action 4905.

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

There are real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t let this hateful petition distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated fairly. There is a nationwide effort by some politicians and interest groups to force transgender people and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks harm us all, whether we’re gay or straight, transgender or not, because they foster discrimination and distract us from the real problems we face. 

Trans folk are just trying to live their lives as anyone else would. To discriminate against them, as this act would, would actually have a net negative impact on the health of all Virginians. Fostering hate and treating a group of people as second class citizens has awful and long lasting implications on mental health of not only trans folk, but their friends, family, and anyone questioning their gender. This mental health toll is incredibly bad for all of Virginia.

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face discrimination because of who they are. Trans people have always been here, and always will be!

It is critical trans athletes are included in sporting activities and teams on the teams they identify with. It harms both trans and cid gender athletes to exclude them. It harms NO ONE to include them, rather further enriches the sports and teams that they are a part of. Imagine how it feels to be a part of a team, to be playing a sport, how great this is for overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being and health. It is unethical to deny someone this right, this joy! 

I live in Arlington, VA and I oppose action 4905.  This action is discriminatory, based on unfair demonization of trans women, and undemocratic.  Despite the hateful rhetoric, trans women pose absolutely no danger to cis women.  Trans women just want to live their lives like everyone else.  

Virginia women face real health threats due to the loss of federal employment, the unaffordability of health care worsened by the sunsetting of ACA subsidies, and the need to protect reproductive health care.  The Board of Health should be protecting women and their families by addressing those issues, rather than ignoring those important issues to issue a regulation that is NOT a health issue at all. It is further offensive that the Board of Health is using women as an excuse to do something that most women not only think is unnecessary but oppose.  

And in doing so, it is ignoring the will of the citizens of Virginia.  Our elected representatives have not taken any such action.  A gubernatorial candidate just lost an election in which this was her primary issue, showing that it is not the will of the voters.  The authority of the Board of Health to issue this regulation is questionable--trans women playing sports is not a public health issue.  Trans women using appropriate restrooms is not a public health issue.  Therefore, this regulation is likely to be overturned. Stop wasting time and taxpayer money that should be dedicated to women's real health concerns rather than political stunts.