I live in Prince William county  and I oppose Action 4905.

The Board of Health should not be in the business of branding entire groups of people as harmful simply because of who they are.

Women and girls in Virginia face serious public health challenges—such as violence, economic insecurity, and barriers to reproductive health care. This hateful petition distracts from the Board’s critical mission to protect the health and well-being of all Virginians.

Across race, background, and gender, everyone deserves to be treated with fairness and dignity. Nationwide, some politicians and special interest groups are working to push transgender and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. So-called “bathroom laws” frequently end up targeting cisgender women who do not conform to narrow, outdated standards of femininity. Trans masculine people, in particular, have been harassed, assaulted, and even killed in women’s restrooms. These political attacks harm everyone—LGBTQIA+ people and non-LGBTQIA+ people alike.

These efforts are attacks on women’s rights as well. The same forces seeking to exclude trans feminine people from public life have long aimed to roll back the hard-won rights women have fought for over generations.

This proposed regulation has nothing to do with public health and everything to do with discrimination. No one should face harm or exclusion because of who they are. Trans people have always existed and will continue to exist. They cannot and will not be erased.