I live in Prince William County, and I strongly oppose Petition 432.

This petition is not about locker rooms — it’s about discrimination. The Board of Health should not be in the business of labeling groups of people as harmful based simply on who they are.

There are serious public health issues affecting women and girls in Virginia — including domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. Don’t allow this harmful petition to distract from your core mission: protecting the health and well-being of all Virginians.

Across our races, backgrounds, and genders, we all deserve to be treated with dignity and fairness. Petition 432 is part of a broader, nationwide campaign by some politicians and special interest groups to push transgender and LGBTQ+ people out of public life. These political attacks hurt everyone — gay or straight, transgender or not — by fueling discrimination and diverting attention from the real challenges we face as a community.

I have a transgender nephew living in my home who is graduating from a Prince William County public high school next week. He just wants to live his life freely and with dignity. He is not a danger to anyone — but targeting him, other transgender individuals, and the broader LGBTQIA+ community is not only unconscionable, it is un-American.

As Virginians, we have the power — and the responsibility — to stand up against hatred and uphold the values of the U.S. Constitution. Let’s defend our loved ones and neighbors against fearmongering and division, and choose compassion, inclusion, and justice instead.