I live in Arlington. I oppose Petition 432 because I oppose discrimination. This petition is not about locker rooms but is about discrimination. 

There are many public health issues facing women and girls in Virginia, like domestic violence, maternal health, and poverty. There are issues in sports with male coaches preying on female athletes of all ages, actual groomers causing actual harm. Don’t let this harmful petition about a made up problem distract from your important mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of ALL people in Virginia. The Family Foundation might be in favor of genital inspection in order to use locker rooms and facilities and participate in public life, but I am not. 

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. 

No one should face discrimination because of who they are or how they look. The Board of Health has no business labeling groups of people harmful based on who they are. 

The Board of Health serves all Virginians, including those who are transgender, and should be working to create better health outcomes for ALL of us.