MICD on House Bills 4024 and 4031 Legislating Transgender Youth

The Michigan College Democrats stand in ultimate opposition to House Bills 4024 and 4031, which aim to legislate against the very existence of transgender youth in Michigan. The bills contain legislation banning students from using the bathroom of their preferred gender, as well as altogether banning transgender athletes from competing in sports with their gender of choice. 

These bills fundamentally attack the right to fairness and equality, the exact opposite of what Representative Joseph Fox and Jaime Greene claim to be championing. Regardless of how a student chooses to identify themselves, they should not be legislated out of everyday life and activities that every other student has the right to participate in. LGBTQ+ discrimination is still (rightfully) illegal, and this should forever be the case in Michigan. 

HB 4024, the “bathroom bill,” has been proposed in numerous other states under the  falsehood of “protecting women” in their own bathrooms, characterizing transgender people as inherently violent and invasive. This cultivates fearmongering towards women who have a genuine fear of being harmed, intentionally misleading those who simply want to remain safe. Additionally, it is incredibly unrealistic to enforce this bill. How will we verify women from men? Who has the authority to verify the gender of any person who enters a women’s restroom? It doesn’t protect privacy, it invades it. 

The ban on transgender athletes in Michigan sports is a direct overreach of legislative power and incredibly unnecessary to enforce. According to the ACLU of Michigan, a total of two female trans students requested waivers from the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) to compete in their identified gender’s sport. Two total students. MHSAA already has a policy of evaluating students on a case by case basis, without any government involvement. By creating legislation targeting just two students, it creates a chilling effect for activities beyond just sports. It has never been about “keeping sports fair,” but rather excluding transgender people from everyday activities. 

Transgender rights are human rights. No excuses.