1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

I urge you to vote NO on HB 1041, as I believe it will cause undue harm to Indiana children. The population of transgender youth in Indiana is very small, and is an at-risk group for mental health struggles and bullying among peers. This bill aims to further ostracize trans youth from their peers, even encouraging a “student or parent of a student” to “submit a grievance” against other children. This sets a dangerous standard for judging children by their appearance or athletic performance and potentially subjects these children to violating investigations if their gender doesn’t appear to match their sex at birth.  I want to stress that, at the academic levels specified in this bill, the population of transgender athletes in question is minuscule, and this bill has the capacity to harm infinitely more kids than it ‘protects.’ Trans children only wish to participate in fun activities with their friends, but this bill frames them as threats and predators. Your role in protecting and honoring the people of Indiana, a population we both love dearly, undeniably includes transgender Hoosiers.