I oppose this petition on the basis of standing up for trans women, who are not "pretending" or "claiming" to be women - they are women and should be respected as such. The petitioners claim that this act will protect women and girls, but they do not speak for all women and they sure as hell don't speak for me. I am a proud queer woman and am dismayed at the tidal wave of hate and distrust aimed at trans people, a very vulnerable and small population, who simply want the right to exist in public with dignity. It is not true, as the petitioners imply, that allowing trans women into women's locker rooms and other single-sex spaces will enable them to sexually assault cisgender women. This is simply not a widespread phenomenon as people like the petitioners like to claim. Assault is already illegal and this act would do nothing but erode the rights of trans women and further disenfranchise them. This act would be an overreach of the state government and is in line with the shameful tradition of unenforceable "bathroom bills," which only make me more wary for my personal safety as a queer woman. We do not need our government to waste time trying to discern who is and isn't allowed in women's spaces based on arbitrary gender stereotypes. Lastly, the question of whether to allow trans women to compete in women's sports is also one I believe to be a waste of the government's time, as, again, the population of trans women is statistically very small, meaning this is not a widespread problem that needs to be addressed.

Please reject this petition and let trans people live in peace and participate in society how they feel most comfortable, as every citizen has the right to do. Trans women pose no threat to me as a cis woman and trans people will always exist no matter how much our government tries to legislate them out of public life and out of existence.