I would like to thank the Cape Gazette for the opportunity to respond to the letter of April 7. I must also thank the conservative media outlet proprietors and people like the author for supplying a textbook example of how they manipulate public opinion through lies, exaggerations and misinformation. I intend to use this letter in my upcoming lectures and symposiums. The reader must understand that this is how they steal power, family wealth and personal pride. The letter is not about children, as it has never been about bathrooms.
I am responding to mistruths that are doing harm to children. First she stated, “It’s not content for children,” which is a tried-and-true, right-wing conservative tactic. “Scantily clad men in women’s clothing ... who want to perform in front of children.” Many drag queens are women, intersexed, transgender and cisgender. None are trying to perform in front of children.
The language is intended to reinforce false claims that trans women are not women. I have yet to meet a drag queen that is not appropriately dressed for the occasion. We had three amazingly talented drag queens ride the Sussex Pride float at last year’s Sea Witch Festival, none of which were scantily clad. They were stunning, colorful and well received by paradegoers of all ages.
Gender-affirming care is a broad spectrum of support. These decisions are not made rashly; they are done in consultation with the patient, parents, therapists and medical professionals. The mistruths are propagated by people outside of the medical community who are ill-informed on well-established treatment for transgender, gender-nonconforming and intersexed people. This has led to an onslaught of very harmful legislation across the nation. Legislation designed solely to erase us from existence. The American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and American Psychological Association support gender-affirming care. These medical organizations are designating best practices, not conservative media.
Misinformation is the contagion. Medical experts agree: gender-affirming care is medically necessary. Medical decisions belong to trans youth, their parents and their doctors, not politicians. The facts are that trans people have been here since the beginning of human existence. We will always be here, and you cannot erase us. Please stop trying.
I am so proud to announce that Delaware is No. 1 in the nation for making the Pride community students feel welcome, at 53% of the children. Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky and Mississippi came in last. I hope the reader can see the correlation. In states where false rhetoric like that of the author is readily espoused, children feel the least safe. I have served on the Cape Henlopen Pride Community outreach committee since its inception. We are creating a safe haven for all children. I could never understand the motives of people who spread such misinformation. It’s not about children or drag queens. It was never about drinking fountains.
Editor’s note: LGBT rights activist Jazz Jennings was misgendered as "he" in a letter to the editor from the Friday, April 7 edition. Jennings should have been referred to as she.
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