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Dear John,
As 2020 gets started, we know there are many fights ahead of us to protect the transgender community, especially trans youth. The new legislative session has just begun in South Dakota and in other states around the country, and we are already seeing proposed bills that would make it harder for young trans people to live as their authentic gender.
These bills display a fundamental ignorance about medical treatment for transgender youth. Being a kid is hard enough. Denying best-practice health care and support to transgender youth can be life-threatening. Decisions about medical treatment for transgender youth should be made by a medical doctor, in accordance with the current medical best practices; not politicians.
Especially politicians like South Dakota Rep. Fred Deutsch, who has no business meddling in my family’s health care. Particularly after his extreme anti-trans rhetoric comparing health care for transgender youth to Nazi medical experiments. In an interview with the Family Research Council, Deutsch said:
“To me, [gender affirming care] is a crime against humanity, when these procedures are done by these so-called doctors, you know, that dance on the edge of medicine. I just don't think it should be done. I think -- you know, I'm the son of a Holocaust survivor. I've had family members killed in Auschwitz. And I've seen the pictures of the bizarre medical experiments. I don't want that to happen to our kids. And that's what's going on right now."
I’m disgusted by the willful ignorance and bigotry that seems to know no bounds. This is why I’m asking you to join the NCTE Action Fund in this fight. Just this week, the NCTE Action Fund hired an organizer to work on the ground in my state of South Dakota to try to defeat this and other horrendous proposals. But, we cannot do it without your help. Sign up to give a monthly gift to the NCTE Action Fund today so that we can ensure this work continues throughout the legislative session.
I hate when they come for anyone in the trans community, but now they’re coming after my kid and I'm exceptionally angry. I hope you will join me and the NCTE Action Fund to tell these anti-trans extremists that they will not hurt our kids.
In Solidarity,
Jessica Hanson
South Dakota Mother of a Transgender Child &
Member of NCTE's Families for Transgender Equality
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