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Dear Youth In Motion Partners,
Education will always be the first line of defense against ignorance- knowing the facts is a key tenet of activism. The current trend of state-level legislative attacks and identity based discrimination targeting LGBTQ+ youth is disheartening, but there are also battles being won, and we must acknowledge & celebrate them.
An example of this plays out Changing the Game. Film subject Sarah Rose Huckman came out as transgender in 7th grade. As a competitive nordic ski racer and track athlete seeking to compete at the high school level, Sarah was devasted to learn that the N.H. Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) had ruled that transgender athletes had to undergo gender affirming surgery before they could play on a team matching their gender identity. Herself being too young to have surgery at the age level she sought to compete, Huckman and her family worked with GLAD and NHIAA to protest the rule and successfully influence school district protocols which decide if a trans person can compete on the team that is consistent with their gender identity.
The Huckman’s and their supporters lobbyed their state goverment, testifying before the New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee in support of HB 1319, an anti-gender identity discrimination bill. They were succesful and the bill they helped sign in still stands today.
We wanted to take a moment to highlight this success story in light of current events, and provide some additional resources towards the foundational understanding of gender identity. Facts matter and must be what we act from.
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