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I wish I weren't sending this email, John.
I am sending support to every young trans person impacted by today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the BPJ/Hecox cases, which challenged laws that exclude trans youth from playing school sports. This is an especially devastating ruling coming one year after U.S. v Skrmetti, which upheld cruel bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth in 27 states.
Today's ruling is a devastating departure from decades of civil rights progress. SCOTUS upheld laws prohibiting trans students from participating in school sports, saying they don't violate the Equal Protection Clause or Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (which prohibits discrimination based on sex in schools).
Our team is sending love, solidarity, and support to you today and always. And we are so grateful to the plaintiffs and legal teams at the ACLU and Lambda Legal for all of their efforts in court.
Let's be clear: Laws banning trans kids from playing sports were passed as a manipulative wedge designed to sow confusion, skepticism, and mistrust about trans people – one of the first advances in an extreme anti-trans agenda that has led to the Trump Administration categorically denying the existence of trans people. Laws have a teaching effect and the impact of these laws and the tsunami of anti-trans laws passed over the last decade have sent a cruel and clear message of exclusion to trans youth and their families.
But here's what I know and believe: Trans kids deserve to grow up with safety, dignity, and joy – with the same opportunities as every other kid. That's the world that we're working toward at the Campaign for Southern Equality: Every day, our team fights for a world where trans and queer young people can play, learn, and grow and have every opportunity to thrive – from our Trans Youth Emergency Project helping families continue to access life-saving healthcare to our Supportive Schools team advocating for inclusive, honest, and affirming classrooms.
This latest Supreme Court ruling only underlines the urgency of our work and makes it even more critical to support trans young people – please make a donation today. A generous donor has pledged to match every donation made this week, up to $5,000 – so your gift will be automatically doubled: $100 becomes $200, $25 becomes $50.
In moments like this, I find a lot of hope in our work at CSE. Last year our Supportive Schools team distributed mini-grants to support inclusive programming for K-12 plus college students across the South to bridge the gap left by defunded DEI programs and LGBTQ+ centers. These programs ranged from a therapeutic support group for LGBTQ+ teens, to the premiere of an original musical written, directed, and performed by a queer student group, to a convening with students from 27 unique school districts and colleges for a statewide fellowship summit. We're gearing up for a second round of grants and I know the projects they'll support will contribute to safer spaces for trans and queer youth.
All young people want to gather, learn from each other, and play – our leaders should be working to lift them up, not tear down a small, vulnerable group of young people. Trans youth deserve so much more than this bullying from those in power and a politicized court with a history of anti-trans decisions.
If you're angry, upset, or heartbroken by today's ruling, we're right there with you. And that's also why we're asking you to harness those feelings into action right now into action: Donate to our Trans Youth Emergency Project, which provides concrete, practical support for trans young people and their families. We'll help families access safe, legal healthcare, provide one-on-one support for families grappling with challenges in schools, and work toward a future where trans youth feel connection and belonging in every part of life.
Please donate $100, $50, or whatever you can to help us support, protect, and lift up trans youth across the country amid these awful attacks. Your donation will be instantly matched by a generous donor, up to $5,000.
Thank you for being on our team, and for all you do to support trans youth.
With love,
Adam Polaski
He/Him
Communications and Politics Director
Campaign for Southern Equality
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