I live in McLean in Fairfax County, 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. Transgender people are a vital part of the community, and to support discrimination against them is to support discrimination against the entire LGBTQ+ community. Remember the wise words of Pastor Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me 

Where will the line be drawn in dictating people's personal hobbies and lives? No harm has been done due to trans athletes in locker rooms or sports. This is purely based on discrimination. And if the government gets away with this, who knows what restrictions they'll implement next.

Also, as a women's rugby player, I have been on teams with multiple transgender and nonbinary people. They have been respectful, equal teammates. I have never felt threatened or uncomfortable around them - in fact, I felt more comfortable with them than many of the cisgender women on my team. I want my fellow women to be able to play on a team that aligns with their identity. Trans athletes in sports have never been and never will be a public health issue. My over 10 years as an athlete can attest to this. 

Sports teams are opportunities for camaraderie and community building. Why are trans women, who already have higher rates of depression and suicide, being excluded from this?

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.