Protect transgender youth: Treat God’s children with dignity
As the celebration of Pride Month is in the rear-view mirror, we call attention to the steps backward recently taken in Florida for protecting our transgender youth and student athletes.
My faith teaches that all of God’s children deserve to be treated with dignity and honor. Love, compassion and safety should be at the forefront of our decision-making when it comes to our children.
It pained me deeply when Florida Republicans and Gov. Ron DeSantis took it upon themselves to pass legislation, SB 1028, targeting trans youth. Adding insult to injury, Gov. DeSantis signed SB 1028 on the day that we began Pride Month and two weeks before we commemorated five years since the Pulse nightclub shooting.
This year, we continued to remember the 49 lives lost at Pulse and the discrimination and violence that our LGBTQ neighbors, friends and family face. Gov. DeSantis’ bill serves only to add fuel to the fire.
SB 1028 excludes transgender athletes from participating in school athletics, denying them their Title IX rights of equal access to competition. There is no evidence in Florida of problems occurring when a transgender child is allowed to play sports. There is absolutely no reason for this law. It is cruel to some of our most vulnerable children and it leaves a stain on the reputation of our state.
These anti-trans sports bans are immoral. They have no place in our state. Republican attacks like these do nothing but harm the mental health and safety of our kids. This cruel, misguided legislation is deeply harmful to already at-risk transgender children.
Transgender youth are some of the most bullied and marginalized in our schools. The Trevor Project reports that three out of four trans youth report symptoms of anxiety disorders and over half have considered suicide.
Attacks like these are exactly why the U.S. Senate needs to pass legislation like the Equality Act — federal law that would ensure that all of our LGBTQ friends, family, neighbors and kids are protected when it comes to discrimination. In the United States, it should not matter which state you live in when it comes to your rights and protections from discrimination.
There are no statewide laws in 29 states at all protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations. Florida is sadly one of these states.
The Equality Act or similar legislation would make it so no one in our country can be fired from his or her job, barred from a restroom, refused medical care or housing on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Such landmark legislation will save lives.
As a pastor, I believe every person is created in the image of God with equal dignity. That’s why I support the passage of federal equality legislation. That is why I am denouncing Gov. DeSantis’ signing of SB 1028 and any other legislation that treats transgender youth like second-class citizens. Our kids deserve so much better than this.
I want to let trans youth know that they belong. They belong in our communities, our schools and on our sports teams. I want them to know that people of faith will always be standing with them in this moral fight.
The Rev. Dr. Joe Parramore serves New Journey Ministries in Quincy and Faith in Public Life Action in Jacksonville.
As a pastor, I believe every person is created in the image of God with equal dignity. That’s why I support the passage of federal equality legislation. That is why I am denouncing Gov. DeSantis’ signing of SB 1028 and any other legislation that treats transgender youth like second-class citizens. Our kids deserve so much better than this.