1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I need you to support legislation that protects transgender students from discrimination in any program or activity at our state's schools. With federal civil rights enforcement gutted, our students need state-level protections now. The federal Office for Civil Rights has stopped processing discrimination complaints. When the administration does act, it's against transgender students rather than for their rights. Our state must fill this gap with explicit protections that guarantee the right to participate in all school programs and activities, not just prohibit discrimination in theory while allowing schools to bar trans students from sports or facilities in practice. We need legislation that creates a private right of action so students can sue schools directly in state court instead of waiting for government agencies that may never act. This gives families real recourse when their children face discrimination. States like Maryland have shown this approach works. Their legislature passed similar protections with bipartisan support, backed by civil rights commissions, the ACLU, and the National Women's Law Center. Our state should follow their lead and pass comprehensive protections this session.