I witnessed an attempt to bring hate to my school just a few days ago when I heard of the news plastered on the front page of the Cape Gazette: “Feds roll back expanded Title IX rules for Cape [Henlopen School District].” These protections, which previously held gender discrimination to the same standard as sex discrimination, remind transgender students they too are deserving of a respectful learning environment. Although the Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Act of 2013, passed by then-Gov. Jack Markell, still entitles transgender students to their own dignity, this is a concerning act nevertheless. It’s another attempt by the federal government to stoke fear through manmade scarcity. This time, it’s through the supposed scarcity of safety in schools. There are people who want us to believe that the safety of transgender students impedes the safety of others, but it does not. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. While bathroom incidents regarding transgender people are common, they overwhelmingly involve harassment against them, rather than incidents caused by them. A transgender student entering a bathroom contrary to their chosen identity poses a greater risk to their personal safety than it does to others when they enter one of their choice. Thus, studies of localities with trans-inclusive policies have found no increase in public safety incidents.
The people advocating for this scarcity often argue that “facts don't care about your feelings,” yet let their fears rule over reality. And no matter how many sources you have, it’s hard to cite your way out of hate. It’s illogical – always has been. The people spreading hate may be a lost cause, but those whom they attempt to influence are not. When deception is retaliated by reality, reality will always win – and people tend to side with the victor. I hope more people join local organizations like Speak Out Against Hate to fight back against the lies that lead to these federal decisions.
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