MADISON, Wis. – This morning, a committee of the Wisconsin Assembly will hold a public hearing on Republican-authored bills that unjustly target LGBTQ+ youth by putting politicians in charge of deciding what sports kids in Wisconsin can play and allowing elected officials to micromanage relationships between parents, students, and teachers.
“All kids, regardless of gender or identity, deserve to play the sports they love and be treated with dignity and respect,” said A Better Wisconsin Together Communications Director Lucy Ripp. “Politicians should not be the ones deciding what extracurricular activities our kids have access to or how they identify themselves.”
Ripp also noted that these bills are yet another chapter in a long narrative of GOP-authored legislation focused on all the wrong priorities for Wisconsin schools, students, and future generations.
“Instead of focusing on the things that we know promote healthy experiences in classrooms and youth sports, like fully funded schools that can provide high quality teachers, coaches, resources, and facilities, Republican lawmakers are trying to use Wisconsin kids as political tools meant to distract and divide,” Ripp said. “We urge lawmakers at today’s public hearing to listen to transgender youth, their families and advocates, and consider the divisive motivations behind these bills.”
Leading experts agree that access to extracurriculars, like youth sports, are essential to children’s mental health and physical health. Call your legislator today at 1-800-362-9472 and demand they stand with everyday Wisconsinites in making Wisconsin a place where all kids can thrive at school and play the sports they love.
