I live in Richmond City and I strongly oppose Petition 432. 

There are a number of public health issues facing women in Virginia, such as sexual and intimate partner violence, maternal mortality, and poverty. Petitions like this do nothing to contribute to the health and wellbeing of women in the Commonwealth. In fact, politically-motivated, discriminatory policies and practices like this can worsen the conditions that allow violence and health inequities to persist (e.g., negative attitudes or beliefs against groups of people due to their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sex, disability, social class, or country of origin are risk factors for sexual violence perpetration). 

This petition is not about locker rooms or protecting women and girls. Please do not be fooled and see this for what it is: a thinly veiled targeted attack against transgender people, part of a broader, coordinated campaign to push LGBTQ+ people out of public life. 

I urge you to reject this petition and focus on real public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia.