The PROTECT Kids Act does anything but protect. It violates the trust that students have with their school, and would force students to continue hiding their identities for fear of retribution and abuse.
Transgender people already have the highest rates of both suicide and abuse. Studies show nearly 1 in 3 transgender people have attempted suicide, and between 50% and 75% have considered suicide. For many trans and gender nonconforming children, reporting information to home and parents means physical abuse or worse. Studies show that nearly 40% of transgender children reported physical abuse and 20% reported sexual abuse.
The best way to reduce the suicide rate is not through big brother overwatch, but through acceptance. Having a school official or teacher be accepting of your gender preference can reduce the likelihood of suicide by up to 25% when accounting for other factors. Acceptance by a peer or classmate can reduce the likelihood by 30%. We should be focusing on making schools a safe and accepting place for trans children, and not another place where they need to hide in fear.
I urge you to take action and save the life of a student. Vote NO on HR 736.
Sources:
- Price, M., “Association of Gender Identity Acceptance with Fewer Suicide Attempts Among Transgender and Nonbinary Youth.” Transgender Health 8(1). 2023
- Jackson, D., “Suicide-Related Outcomes Following Gender-Affirming Treatment: A Review.” Cureus 15(3). 2023
- Thoma, B; Rezeppa, T; et al. “Disparities in Childhood Abuse Between Transgender and Cisgender Adolescents” Pediatrics 148(2). 2021
