Physicians to Florida Legislature: Let trans girls play girls sports

As pediatricians, sports medicine physicians and a public health expert, we advocate, support, and care for all children regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, sex, country of origin or ability status. We fight to better the lives of all our patients and their families. We oppose discrimination in all forms, including against transgender youth.

A wave of state legislation making its way through the United States targets transgender youth and the physicians who care for them.

Legislation has been passed in the Florida House that would ban transgender girls from playing sports with other girls. These bills are callous, dangerous and damaging to the health of children, their families and society as a whole. The bill was temporarily postponed in the Florida Senate on Tuesday, but is still hanging in the balance of the Florida Legislature with eight days remaining of this year’s legislative session.

Participation in sports encourages physical activity, self-esteem, development of teamwork, work ethic and resilience. The notion that transgender girls participating in girls’ sports puts cisgender girls at a disadvantage discredits the strength and abilities of all girls.

Many of us played sports and credit our successes through high school, college, medical and graduate school, and now as professionals, to sports. Banning children from playing sports with other youth of the same gender is a disservice to our children, denying them the same benefits and successes we enjoyed, and would have devastating consequences on their mental and physical health.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) knows the importance of affirming transgender youth, and clearly states that “adolescents and adults who identify as transgender have high rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm and suicide.”

Transgender youth face bullying and exclusion at high rates. Around half of transgender children consider suicide, and a third attempt it. To put that into perspective, when you apply these statistics to the transgender youth currently in high school, about 91,500 transgender children in the U.S. have attempted suicide. Excluding transgender youth from sports that match their gender only serves to exacerbate these dangerous consequences.

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Evidence-based medical guidelines recommend gender-affirming care. As the AAP states, “Variations in gender identity and expression are normal aspects of human diversity, and binary definitions of gender do not always reflect emerging gender identities.”

Gender affirmation recognizes the gender the child identifies with, which can be transformative and supportive to youth. It reduces rates of depression, suicide, anxiety, and substance use. Gender affirming care saves lives.

As doctors taking care of kids, we strive to provide the best medical care, which includes gender-affirming care. Banning children from playing sports with other youth of the gender they identify with is discrimination and goes against medical advice.

The Central Florida community’s response to the Pulse nightclub shooting demonstrated our collective power to stand up against injustice based on a person’s identity. Legislation attacking transgender youth is yet another example of the misunderstanding and fear threatening some of the most vulnerable members of our families, neighborhoods and communities.

Let us stand together in strength and support for our children. Your voice makes a difference. Tell your elected officials that this discriminatory legislation against transgender youth is unacceptable and not representative of this state.

To our transgender youth and our transgender community: We see you. We value you. We stand with you.

Transgender girls are girls. Let them play!