I live in Charlottesville, VA and I oppose Action 4905.

The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

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. 

This discriminatory regulation does not protect cis women and girls, it only harms trans people in our communities. Trans people are already wary using public spaces, transgender people are more than four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime. Excluding transgender people from restrooms just makes their experience in public that much more hostile, and signals that they are unwanted—not just in restrooms, but in public in general. Restrooms are an essential resource needed to exist for long periods in public spaces, limiting access to these spaces limits the amount of time one can comfortably spend in public. 

This regulation also proposes excluding transgender women and girls from athletic communities. Sports are a wonderful opportunity for kids and teens, allowing them to engage with others their age, learn essential interpersonal skills, and remain active and healthy. Should transgender kids not be allowed this opportunity? Even if this passes, how should this be enforced? Will girls need to undergo physical inspections/invasive tests to participate in sports? This seems harmful for everyone.

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with the health of Virginians and everything to do with discrimination. 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.