1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

Oppose any anti-trans athlete legislation that comes before you. Conservative strategists have openly admitted these measures are not about fairness in sports. Terry Schilling of the American Principles Project told CNN the women's sports issue was "really the beginning point in helping expose all this because what it did was, it got opponents of the LGBT movement comfortable with talking about transgender issues." That is a confession, not a policy argument. The voters heard it. PACs and special interest groups spent more than $400 million on anti-trans campaign ads in the last election cycle, and a GLAAD report found that messaging backfired on voters two to one. Anti-trans attack ads didn't mobilize a base. They alienated voters across political, demographic, and geographic lines. The groups now pushing these ballot measures are chasing fundraising dollars, not a mandate. These laws hurt every young athlete, not just transgender ones. They invite government intrusion into the most private aspects of students' lives and bodies. I expect my elected officials to see through this strategy for what it is and refuse to give it any foothold.