I understand a petition to "Prevent biological males from female-only athletics and certain female-designated spaces" has been submitted to the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall.

I live in Arlington, Virginia, and I urge denial of this petition.  This petition is nothing more than a reflection of the current hysteria surrounding transgender people.  The hysteria is reminiscent of the efforts of various states to ban gay marriage in the early 2000's.  When gay marriage was eventually legalized nationwide the country did not fall apart.  Trans people may be a small minority but they are as deserving of fairness and dignity as anyone else.  This petition is not about locker rooms.  The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are.  

The petition implies that transgender women competing in women's sports will have an advantage over cisgender women, but where is the evidence?  Exactly what is the psychological harm that a cisgender woman experiences in sharing the locker room with a trans woman?  Does she think she is being ogled by the transgender woman?  Does that upset her?  Does the cisgender woman know that there may be lesbians in her locker room as well and would the thought that they might be looking at her upset her?  Does she propose to also ban lesbians from the locker room?  How are trans women and lesbians to be identified if they are to be banned?  Do you see what a slippery slope these exaggerated fears are creating?

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. 

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.