GOP receives blowback at hearing on recycled anti-trans bills

The state GOP is once again trying to pass an anti-trans bill that Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the first time around and is certain to veto again.

Assembly Bill 103 would require a legal name change and permission from the parents (or legal guardians) should a student wish to be called by a name or pronoun that does not match their official school record. 

It was one of two anti-trans bills the GOP introduced. The other, AB 100, seeks to ban transgender women from competing in any sports team designated for female athletes. That, too, is a recycled bill that was earlier vetoed by Evers.

The transgender community and its allies came out in force last week during a public hearing to denounce the legislation.

“How many trans people did you consult when writing this bill?” Rep. Christian Phelps demanded of AB 103’s author, Rep. Barbara Dittrich. 

“This is a parent’s rights bill,” Dittrich responded. “I did not consult anyone who’s trans.”

Over the next several hours, the transgender community and those who love and support them, shared their testimony in opposition to AB 103 and all of the anti-trans bills being introduced this session.

Amanda Merkwae, testifying on behalf of the ACLU stated that, “Bills like this are part of a nationwide coordinated effort to deny trans people their freedom, safety, and dignity. Anyone paying attention can see that the ultimate goal of legislation like this is to push transgender people out of public life altogether.”

Over and over again, constituents shared stories of their personal experiences, or experiences of their loved ones, in which the parent may not have been the first person they confided in. Some testified that it was friends, peers, or a trusted adult, such as a teacher, counselor or coach who they first reached out to when exploring what they argue is the very personal matter of their gender identity.

“I was outed by a teacher in my high school to my ultra conservative parents which resulted in corrective assault, homelessness, and then eventually a suicide attempt that I only survived due to hospitalization that left me with permanent physical damage,” one person powerfully testified. “A bill like this is not a protection, it is a weapon against trans children.” 

Another said that “it needlessly complicates the lives of people that face challenges that few have to experience, challenges that are hard to imagine or explain.”

Others went on to argue that using pronouns is a matter of dignity and harms no one; that it is polarizing and being used to score political points;  and that it stifles free expression.

Additionally, a lack of clarity in the bill’s language can put educators in a difficult position. Should a student express their desire to be called by a different name or pronoun, the teacher would have to choose between outing that student to their parents or refusing to accommodate the student’s request. 

AB 100, the bill banning transgender athletes from competing in sports designated for girls, also received significant blowback in testimony. Those speaking against the bill emphasized that these are K-12 students and not elite or olympic athletes. They stressed the camaraderie and fun that goes along with participation in sports for all children.

“There will always be unfairness in sports due to biological differences,” one testified, giving as examples a boy in their class who was 7-6 or another classmate who hit puberty early. “Why is it  that these cis kids are celebrated and praised for their uniqueness while trans kids are demonized for theirs?”

Governor Evers has pledged to veto any anti-LGBTQ+ legislation sent to his desk.