I live in Fairfax County, VA and I oppose Petition 432. 

In regards to women’s spaces:

Trans women belong in women’s spaces. Forcing trans women into men’s spaces puts trans women in danger. I’m not sure what people think trans women are thinking about when going to the bathroom, but I promise, it’s mostly about emptying their bladders and then moving on with their day. I can talk all day about why trans women are worth protecting. I’m married to a trans woman, she is incredible. She’s not a predator, she’s not interested in crawling under the stall to “getcha!” Demonizing transgender people is the silliest thing to me, when we have cisgender* men running around raping people and beating their girlfriends and wives. Transgender women are one of the least likely demographics to commit violence of any kind against anyone. why on earth would we want to put one of our most vulnerable demographics of citizens in danger?

*Cisgender meaning someone who identifies with their gender assigned at birth/someone who is not transgender. 

The act of banning trans women from women’s spaces opens the door for cisgender women to be harassed and humiliated if they don’t fit society’s standards for femininity. there have been lots of stories in the news about this happening, most recently, in Boston. But I have a personal story to share. 

My aunt Mary is a 65 year old veteran who has always been a tomboy. She’s not trans, she’s not even a lesbian, just a very boyish woman, and dresses masculinely, much like she did when she was in the Army.  She does visibly have breasts, but otherwise, she could pass as male. She went to the restroom in a grocery store and was harassed. This kind of thing shouldn’t happen, whether you are trans or not.

In regards to women’s sports:

Let me be clear: absolutely no one is advocating for adolescent/adult transgender women who are NOT ON HORMONES to be able to participate in competitive women’s only sports. Trans women who have gone through the necessary steps to change their body chemistry should absolutely be allowed in women’s sports. The science on hormone replacement therapy is clear. A trans woman who has been on HRT and testosterone blockers for long enough has strength and ability comparable to a cisgender woman. They might be taller, which isn’t even an advantage in every sport. And until we start banning tall cisgender women from sports, that shouldn’t matter either. 

My wife, and people like her, are human beings. They are not insects, or the boogeyman. Just human beings, that will not hurt you. Please treat them as such.