1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which threatens to erase queer and trans communities from the internet. While this bill is marketed as protecting children online, I am deeply concerned that it will be weaponized to censor LGBTQ+ content and resources that are lifelines for vulnerable youth. KOSA establishes a duty of care that would empower the Federal Trade Commission to censor content deemed capable of making children anxious or depressed. Under the current Trump administration, this means health resources for LGBTQ+ youth and abortion information would be targeted. The Trump-controlled FTC has already held workshops on targeting trans healthcare providers, and Project 2025 explicitly outlines plans to label queer and trans content as pornographic. This is not speculation. Republican supporters like Senator Marsha Blackburn and the Heritage Foundation have publicly stated their intention to use KOSA to remove trans content and abortion resources from the internet. Twenty-five states have already passed age verification laws requiring invasive ID checks before accessing content deemed harmful to minors, demonstrating how these mechanisms are deployed against marginalized communities. KOSA raises the same censorship concerns as SESTA/FOSTA but on a far larger scale. LGBTQ+ and human rights organizations have repeatedly warned about these dangers. In September 2025, when Fight For The Future and local LGBTQ+ organizations delivered petitions requesting meetings with lawmakers, many were declined, shutting out constituent voices on this critical issue. Progressive leaders like Senator Edward Markey, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Representative Maxwell Frost oppose KOSA. There are better alternatives to address Big Tech harms, including privacy legislation, antitrust enforcement, and algorithmic justice reforms that do not sacrifice LGBTQ+ youth. I respectfully request that you oppose KOSA in any form and support alternative approaches that protect young people without enabling censorship of marginalized communities.