Fiscal Note
No funding required.
Title
Opposing Wisconsin Assembly and Senate Bills concerning the ability of transgender individuals to participate in athletics.
Body
WHEREAS, Wisconsin Assembly Bills (AB) 195 and 196 and Senate Bills (SB) SB 322 and SB 323 would prohibit transgender individuals from participating in girls’ and women’s athletics in Wisconsin’s educational institutions from kindergarten through college; and
WHEREAS, according to the Human Rights Campaign, laws that target transgender individuals sends a message that these individuals are less worthy and less valued than others, which increases stigma and contributes to harassment against these individuals; and
WHEREAS, LGBTQ youth already face discrimination, harassment, and poorer school outcomes because of gender expression and gender. According to the 2019 report on school climate from GLSEN,
· 42.5% of LGBTQ students felt unsafe at school because of their gender expression, and 37.4% because of their gender.
· 77.6% of LGBTQ students avoided school functions and 71.8% avoided extracurricular activities because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable.
· 59.1% of LGBTQ students reported personally experiencing LGBTQ related discriminatory policies or practices at school, including 10.2% who were prevented or discouraged from participating in school sports because they were LGBTQ.
· 56.9% of LGBTQ students experienced verbal harassment at school based on their gender expression and 53.7% based on their gender.
· LGBTQ students who experienced higher levels of victimization based on their gender expression were three times as likely to have missed school, had a lower grade point average, had lower levels of self-esteem, and had higher levels of depression that their peers who experienced less victimization. Of the LGBTQ students that considered dropping out of school, 42.2% indicated that it was related to harassment they faced at school and 30.1% said it was related to the hostile climate c...
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