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Gia Drew is the executive director of EqualityMaine.
As a transgender person, I’m finding just existing is a little more challenging in today’s world. I’m having a hard time focusing on regular tasks, keeping up with simple household chores, and my health has wavered under the weight of the moment. But, as an adult who has survived decades of intolerance, hate, violence, bullying, harassment, and the loss of a love to HIV and AIDS, I know I’ll be alright in the end; I’ve got a solid support network of colleagues and friends, as well as a loving family by my side.
My concern is for trans and non-binary youth, who are just beginning their lives, finding their footing, and who should be thriving, or at least stumbling through childhood and their teen years like any other kid. Unfortunately, there are people, including here in Maine, who feel that attacking transgender kids and the families who love them is “sound” political strategy. This is unconscionable, and as Mainers, we shouldn’t allow this to happen on our watch.
There’s a lot happening here in Maine and across the country as we come to grips with the fact that as a nation we elected a president who is, in my view, an incompetent autocrat, who is now fostering chaos and dissent here at home and across the globe And in this moment, Maine has become a flashpoint of the president’s ire, because we believe in our people, we believe in our shared values of fairness and mutual respect, and we believe in the human rights and dignity of all people in Maine.
For decades, Maine has had some of the strongest non-discrimination laws in the country. For example, in the fall of 2005, Mainers went to the polls and voted to keep a law to include sexual orientation, which at the time included gender identity, as a protected class in Maine, alongside race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, religion, age, and familial status.
The reason we have laws like these is because of the long and sad history of discrimination against certain populations. These are not special rights, as some would argue, but an honest attempt to name that bias and discrimination continues to exist here in Maine.
The current attacks against transgender kids who play sports is tragic. We all should recognize that these assaults are not really about fairness, sports, or “protecting” girls and women; rather, this looks like a calculated plan, hatched by far-right politicians, to gain political power by using people’s lack of familiarity and understanding of transgender people, including trans children, to their advantage. If successful, these attacks will hurt all girls and young women, trans or not, including your daughters, nieces, sisters, and neighbors, by promoting practices that scrutinize their bodies, traumatize them and violate their privacy, and expose them to harassment.
According to philosopher Immanuel Kant, humans are equal to one another because we all possess the same dignity, which is why we should all be treated fairly. People’s basic human dignity is breached whenever someone or a group of people is treated unfairly based on capricious, arbitrary, or irrelevant features.
I recognize that our state is facing significant funding and financial challenges, such as federal money being blocked by the current president’s administration due to Maine having respect for human rights, the centering of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our culture, and having strong policies and laws that mirror our beliefs and values. But caving to power, or thinking we can negotiate fairly with an authoritarian president, should not be on the table or thought of as an accepted alternative.
Unfortunately, it’s human nature to scapegoat people when we’re desperate and scared. But there are other options. We are creative, thrifty, and smart people in Maine, and we can figure this out if we have the collective will to do so.
But throwing transgender kids under the bus doesn’t solve any of the real problems we face in Maine — it only hurts people. We can do better, Maine, I know we can, and that’s why I love you.
