Pledge to protect trans rights

Trans youth are valued members of our community who deserve inclusion, care, and celebration. But trans kids are facing an unprecedented, all-out attack on their most basic rights from politicians across the country – including here in Vermont. We must send a clear message to our legislators, community leaders, neighbors, family, and friends that transgender rights are human rights, and they are not up for debate.

Young people should be free to learn, play, and grow alongside their peers in schools where they feel safe in their gender identity and expression. That includes having an equal opportunity to participate in athletics and access locker rooms, restrooms, and other facilities consistent with their gender identity. H.513, a bill in Vermont banning trans girls from playing on girls' sports teams, is one of over 450 bills restricting LGBTQ+ rights that have been introduced across the country this year alone.

It is not enough to sit idly by as politicians strip away our most fundamental rights. Trans youth belong, and they deserve the opportunity to play with their friends, dream about their futures, and live as their authentic selves.

Sign our petition today and urge your friends, co-workers, and neighbors to do the same. It's time to make our voices heard and ensure that transgender youth and their families know that they belong here and that we will never back down from the fight for trans rights.

As transgender youth face unprecedented attacks on their right to learn, grow, and play with their friends, the introduction of H.513 in Vermont – a bill that bans trans girls from playing on girls' sports teams – should serve as a stark reminder that our state is not free from anti-trans rhetoric, hate, and bigotry.

We have seen this vitriol unfold in recent months through transphobic messages posted on public property in Burlington, one school's refusal to play in a basketball tournament against a team with a transgender girl in February, and the series of hateful incidents impacting Randolph last fall.

To be clear, H.513 is blatant discrimination – and the very existence of this bill perpetuates a baseless and deeply harmful ideology that seeks to eliminate transgender people from public life. It is one of over 450 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in legislatures across the country in 2023 – attacks that range from book bans to the criminalization of essential health care services.

It's on all of us to condemn these dangerous and bigoted attacks and affirm that the rights, dignity, and humanity of trans youth are not up for debate. I pledge to support transgender youth and their families as valued members of our community – and I urge others to do the same.

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We, the undersigned, urge the Legislature and our elected leaders to reject any and all attempts to restrict the rights of transgender people in Vermont. Trans people are valued members of our community who deserve the freedom to live their lives with dignity, authenticity, and respect.