You don’t have to scroll through the internet for hours to understand that transgender children in America are under attack.Even if it is a member of parliament who is serious about refuse life-affirming care or legislate Where are the restrooms available for transgender people?or far-right groups (both online and IRL) protesting drag shows and calling LGBTQ+ people “groomers” are in a moment of moral panic against transgender people.
One area where anti-transgender rhetoric has taken on a particularly vitriolic air is in school sports. In April, House Republicans introduced the first-ever policy. Federal Laws Banning Trans Female Athletes You cannot compete with cisgender girls and women. The story is similar across the country. 22 states There are laws that prohibit trans students from competing on teams that match their gender identity.
Despite the rhetoric of conservative lawmakers and the media that some social contagion makes children transgender, relatively few children actually identify as transgender. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Estimate Less than 2% of high school students are transgender, and of course not all or most of those kids play sports. For clarity, all athletes should be allowed to play for teams that match their gender identity, regardless of what percentage of the population they represent. But it’s important to be intellectually honest about the fact that it takes a surprising amount of time and energy. They are trying to prevent a very small number of children from participating in athletics.
there is teeth Some numbers for transgender children are staggeringly high.trevor project investigated A study of 28,000 LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24 in 2023 found that 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ children reported poor mental health “most or always” due to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. I understand. Half of the transgender and nonbinary respondents said they seriously considered suicide last year.
Rather than further isolating, marginalizing, and marginalizing the relatively small number of trans-student-athletes, we should advocate for them all to have access to what they need and want to survive and thrive in. For many children, it is an opportunity to play sports with friends, which has tremendous mental health benefits.
It’s easy to feel helpless and hopeless in this barrage of anti-trans laws and rhetoric, but we’re trying to fight back by making our local sports teams safer and more welcoming to transgender children. There are people all over the country. SELF speaks to activists and community leaders in various parts of the country about what we can all do to help transgender children know they are loved and help them take the field with their friends. We talked with community leaders.
Sarah Mikhail, Social Worker and Executive Director, timeout useAdvocacy groups in North Carolina describe the situation in the state as “horrifying.”
“I don’t think the government will save us,” Mikhail told SELF. “So what kind of community can we build for young people to protect them from a government that was not designed for us?”
Look out for organizers who are already doing this in your community.
Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel or start something from scratch, see if someone in your city or state is already working on it. Not all places have LGBTQ+ community centers or safe places for queer and trans people to gather, so finding them isn’t always easy. However, sometimes finding the right organization or resource is as easy as a Google search. Additionally, social media is very useful. Search Facebook, Instagram, or even his TikTok and you’ll find people and organizations that are already doing that and can follow suit. First, type “trans” and your state or other key search term into the social media search bar to start looking for organizations that may not be immediately visible on Google.
See what your local recreation club can offer.
If your town or city has recreational youth sports, it may offer opportunities for trans-athletes not offered at your local school. “If you can’t play at school, find a rec league. If you can’t find a rec league, find a safe place to play, invite your friends and start something yourself,” said senior field organizer Gio Santiago. say. Athlete AraiAn organization fighting anti-gay and anti-trans attitudes in sports told SELF.
