Easy A: meaningful actions in five minutes or less

Read This: Anti-Trans Bills Are Harming LGBTQ+ Kids

Nov 9, 2023 | Easy A, LGBTQ+ Rights

Reproductive freedom has been making headlines a lot this year, but did you know that the same groups that fought to get Roe overturned are also the ones behind all the anti-trans legislation exploding across the country? This year alone, 586 anti-trans bills have been introduced in state houses across the nation. This number grows so often, that we’ve had to update our stats while writing and researching about this topic. By the time you read this, it could be even more.

So what are these anti-trans laws about? It’s usually targeting things like which bathroom kids can use, what sports teams they can play on, and whether or not they’re allowed to choose their own pronouns atquote: For any trans youth below the age of twelce gender affirmaing care is just haricut, clothes, names, pronouns. That's it. school. And now some states have moved beyond trying to control trans students in the classroom, and are banning gender-affirming care. 

Okay, so what is that exactly? Gender-affirming care is as simple as allowing a child to wear their hair in a style they feel better suits them, choosing clothes they feel comfortable in, or picking a name that better represents them. Gender affirming care is simply validating how the child feels, and it goes a long way towards making them feel safe and accepted. 

Extremists like to hide behind the slogan “protect the children,” but in reality it’s about controlling children and teaching them that there is only one ‘right’ way to be. The fact is these anti-trans bills are causing a lot of harm to LGBTQ+ kids. Studies have shown that anti-trans bills increase depression, anxiety and even thoughts of suicide in kids and teens. And LGBTQ+ youth are already at an increased risk of depression and suicide. That’s really heartbreaking.

As parents, educators, and community members, it’s up to all of us to ensure every kid grows up feeling safe, valued, and loved. We don’t have to sit on the sidelines – We can help. We know that all students benefit from a safe learning environment, so we can be an advocate for schools that are accepting of all students. And we can be an ally and a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. Stay tuned for more info over the next couple of weeks on easy actions you can take to help.

Subscribe to Easy A

Recent Posts

Do This: Look up data centers where you live

Data centers are popping up all over the country, but the majority of Americans don’t want them in our community. That’s because we know that data centers pollute our air, use up our water supply, and increase our electricity bills — all without adding anything to the...

Watch This: Living Next to a Data Center

There are more than 4,000 data centers in the U.S. That’s a lot, and the more we use the internet and AI, the more that number will grow. Still, many of us don’t know much about the impact of data centers if we haven’t personally experienced them in our own community....

Read This: What Everyone Should Know about Data Centers

Whenever we do a quick Google search or snap a picture on our phones and it saves to the “cloud,” many of us don’t think about what that means. The internet feels like an imaginary, infinite space for holding all our digital stuff. But it’s actually all powered by...

Do This: Share Healthy Shouldn’t Be This Hard with your friends

It’s a struggle for women to live healthy in America, so concerns about our health are at the top of our minds as we head toward November’s elections. We want to support candidates who will help us be healthy, not make it harder, and politicians know it. We’re...

Watch This: Healthy Shouldn’t Be This Hard

What do safe food, vaccines, hormones, insurance, pollution, and climate change all have in common? They all factor into our ability to be healthy! These are also just some of the things that most women think about every day, because we care about our own wellness and...