*TW: SUICIDE
What is SB435?
Trans Rights Are Under Attack.
On February 9, 2022, SB 435 passed in the Georgia State Senate Committee. SB 435 which stands for Senate Bill 435) is an anti-trans piece of legislation that would prohibit “public or private participating schools whose students or teams compete against a Georgia public school to operate, sponsor, or facilitate athletic programs or activities that permit a person of one gender to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for persons of the opposite gender.” Basically, if passed, this bill would prevent trans youth from participating on sports teams consist with their gender identity. For example, a trans girl would be barred from being on a sports team with other girls.
The bill text goes on to outline the fact that there are “inherent physical differences” between females and males. Because of these differences, the bill takes a big logical leap that someone who was assigned male at birth (AMAB) should not be allowed to be on a team of athletes who were assigned female at birth (AFAB) and vice versa. Not only does the legislation fail to acknowledge that there are differences between sex and gender, it also is inherently transphobic and discriminatory. If this legislation passes into law, that will mean the trans youth will be singled out and will not be able to participate on a sports team that aligns with their gender.
Sex and Gender, What Are the Differences?
Sex and gender are often used interchangeably but they mean different things. Sex refers to the label- male or female- that was assigned to you at birth, usually by a doctor or health care provider. You did not make the choice of what your sex is. It is often also referred to as biological sex. Whereas gender is more complex than that. Gender refers to your social and legal status, behaviors that you exhibit, cultural standards. For example, in a patriarchal society, AFAB people are expected to take on domestic labor and responsibilities, while, an AMAB person would be expected to work for money to provide for their family.
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The Impact of SB435 on Trans Youth
This bill serves to further ostracize trans youth from society. Trans youth already experience heightened feelings of isolation, loneliness, and bullying with “52% of all transgender and nonbinary young people in the U.S. seriously contemplated killing themselves in 2020.” According to a national survey on LGBTQ+ mental health by the Trevor Project, 70% of LGBTQ youth rated their mental health as “poor” during the pandemic. A further 94% highlighted the impact that politics and legislation like SB 435 has had negatively on their well-being.
At a time when unemployment is at an all-time high, Georgians are dealing with homelessness, COVID-19, a maternal mortality crisis, and the like, Georgia legislators think that discriminating against trans youth should be first on their to-do list.
Solidarity is the Solution
SisterLove stands with the LGBTQ+ community, in particular, trans and gender non-conforming youth in their fight to exist as their authentic selves in society. This bill, and others like it, do not serve to “protect” cisgender people; they exist to further discriminate against trans folks. This cannot stand.
To reach out to your senator and let them know how you feel about SB 435, click here! To locate your senator and find out how to call or email them, click here!
If you are feeling suicidal, please reach out to the Trevor Project. They run a mental health hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. To reach them, click here!
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