Hello,

I live in Arlington County, and I am a licensed medical provider in the state of Virginia.

I adamantly oppose Petition 432.

This petition claims to protect (cisgender) women and girls but only serves to further ostracize and discriminate against trans-women or as written "biological males... in female spaces." The petition claims that this petition would serve to prevent "physical and psychological" harm of (cisgender) women but flagrantly discredits the health of transwomen.

In my medical practice I see both cis-women (people assigned female at birth and identify as female) and transwomen (people assigned male at birth and identify as female) among others in the gender identity spectrum. Nearly all my transwomen patients have described to me times in which they have been victim to physical or psychological harm from discrimination or harassment. I fear this petition, if adopted, will only further exacerbate the significant mental health crisis in this at-risk population.