1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

The proposed legislation, H.R. 9218 the "Defining Male and Female Act of 2024," raises significant concerns about discrimination and harmful impacts on vulnerable communities. By codifying rigid and exclusionary definitions of gender and sex, this bill threatens to undermine the rights and wellbeing of transgender, non-binary, and intersex individuals. Such narrow definitions fail to account for the diversity and complexity of human experience. Furthermore, enshrining these discriminatory views into law could enable further marginalization and denial of basic rights and services. We must embrace an understanding that gender exists on a spectrum and that biological sex is not always binary. Scientific consensus recognizes the existence of intersex individuals and the invalidity of conflating sex and gender. Rather than promoting harmful ideology, our laws should uphold equality, human dignity, and medical consensus. I urge you to vote against this misguided legislation. It promotes an exclusionary agenda antithetical to American values of freedom and inclusion. Our nation's strength lies in its diversity – let us move forward, not regress. Reject H.R. 9218 and stand for a society that respects and empowers all people.