I live in Henrico and I oppose Petition 432.

This petition is not about locker rooms. 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 am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a strong ally for the trans community, and 

I have a responsibility and desire to ensure and fight for the equality, equity, and inclusion of our fellow humans. It seems this has been forgotten: Trans people have always been and will always be here. They are the ones who have historically, and are still being targeted, physically harmed, tortured, and murdered for being who they are because of misinformation like this policy that has spread like a disease. 

This petition 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. 

Thank you for acting in love.