Transgender 'bill of rights' would erase women

Assistant Health Secretary Rachel Levine suggested that bills such as Florida's ban on transgender athletes competing on women's sports teams could contribute to mental issues.

More than 80 House Democrats recently introduced a resolution they call the Trans Bill of Rights. The authors claim it will ensure that transgender and nonbinary people are, as a lead sponsor Rep. Marie Newman put it, "free to live as their authentic self." 

In practice, the Trans Bill of Rights guts protections and programs for biological women. Every American must now decide: do I support this vision of trans rights, or do I stand for women’s rights? It is impossible to support both because they are in direct conflict.

The press materials promoting the Trans Bill of Rights focus on the idea of inclusivity, personal fulfillment, and preventing the bullying and mistreatment of LGBTQ+ and gender-nonconforming communities, all of which sounds very nice. Of course, Americans oppose bullying and want everyone treated with kindness and respect. But the Trans Bill of Rights isn’t just a feel-good statement of support or warning against bullying. It has serious legal implications — particularly for women.

The Trans Bill of Rights would redefine the term "sex" under the Civil Rights Act to include "gender identity and sex characteristics" and prohibit public accommodations and federally funded programs from offering spaces and programs exclusively for women. In other words, it would become illegal to take into account sex or "sex characteristics," and single-sex facilities would cease to exist. If a female athletic team cannot discriminate against males, then men will dominate competitions meant for women. If women’s locker rooms, rape crisis centers, and