1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern about the growing use of "gender ideology" as a political tool to undermine transgender rights and broader social progress. This harmful rhetoric, which originated in conservative Catholic circles in the 1990s, has now infiltrated American political discourse and is being weaponized by right-wing movements globally. The concept of "gender ideology" is being misused as a catch-all term to criticize the well-established understanding that gender is a social construct distinct from biological sex. This rhetoric is not based on facts or science, but rather on fear-mongering and misinformation. It's being employed to justify discriminatory policies and stoke unfounded fears about threats to traditional values and family structures. This week, Transgender Awareness Week, and every week, I urge you to take a stand against this harmful rhetoric and the discriminatory policies it seeks to justify. We need leaders who will protect the rights of all citizens, those you have been elected to represent, including transgender individuals, and who will base their decisions on facts and compassion rather than fear and misinformation.