By GLAD, Boston | April 10, 2024 || LGBTQ+ Advocates and Supports call on Rhode Island General Assembly to reject harmful legislation
We represent a coalition of local organizations, advocates, and community members joining together to support an inclusive Rhode Island and to drown out attacks made in our state house attempting to undermine the well-being of LGBTQ+ people. The majority of Rhode Islanders support equality, and we’ve proven that from one legislative session to the next. The repeat introductions of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in our general assembly run counter to our commitment to protect our families, friends, and neighbors. We call on our legislators to reject these and any similar shameful proposals that seek to limit Rhode Islanders’ rights and freedoms.
(H7727, H7781, H7873, H7884, S2041, S2104, S2423, S2424, S2660, S2703: follow this link to learn more about these proposals.)
The proposed bills introduced in the Rhode Island State House are built on model legislation from extremist ideological groups seeking to use government to impose their views on everyone. Censoring accurate and robust education and preventing students from fully participating in school life is a disservice to all our young people. Banning access to legal, life- saving medical care that is supported by every major U.S. medical association – representing 1.3 million doctors- as safe, effective, standard-of-care medicine is dangerous and harmful to everyone in the Ocean State.
The arguments used to push forward these harmful measures aren’t new. Opponents are evoking the same kinds of disinformation used against LGBTQ+ people from the 1970s through the Supreme Court decision settling marriage equality. Significantly, what has changed is their target. The groups opposing LGBTQ+ people’s visibility in public life are now targeting the trans community, and especially young transgender people, for bullying, harassment, and intimidation. As in the past, those pushing harmful policies claim their interest is in “protecting the children,” but they use their platforms to do the exact opposite.
Rhode Island protected transgender people under the law more than 20 years ago, recognizing that as the necessary first step to end the mistreatment too often experienced by the community. Nearly a decade has passed since our schools implemented policies to support transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse students. We should be well beyond debates about transgender Rhode Islanders’ basic dignity and humanity and respect for their ability to live, work, go to school and participate in public life on the same terms as everyone else.
Rhode Islanders want our elected senators and representatives to work on policies that will actually improve the lives of everyone in the Ocean State, not stir up baseless fear about a small group of people. We cannot ignore the introduction of proposals that would so greatly harm transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse residents of our state and our families. We urge our legislators to reaffirm Rhode Island’s values, reject these dangerous proposals, and ensure that our state motto of Hope continues to apply to everyone.
Sincerely,
Thundermist Health Center
TGI Network of Rhode Island Inc.
Youth Pride, Inc.
Sojourner House
Project Weber/RENEW
Haus of Codec
Pride in Aging RI
Newport Pride
PFLAG Greater Providence
The Womxn Project
Young Voices
Rhode Island ACLU
Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights
National Education Association Rhode Island
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT
Economic Progress Institute
Women’s Fund of Rhode Island
SHIP
COYOTE RI
Amnesty International USA 1016
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders
The Trevor Project
Planned Parenthood of Southern New England
Rhode Island Public Health Institute
Open Door Health
Family Service of Rhode Island
Thrive Behavioral Health
Rhode Island Medical Society
Rhode Island Academy of Family Physicians
Rhode Island Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Rhode Island Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Rhode Island Psychological Association
Rhode Island Section of American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Washington County Health Equity Zone
One Cranston Health Equity Zone
Protect Our Healthcare Coalition RI
Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families
Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence
SafeBAE
Haven Box
Women’s Health & Education Fund
Rhode Island State Council of Churches
Hope and Change Partnership
Rhode Island Democratic Party LGBTQ+ Caucus
RI Working Families Power
Rhode Island Black Business Association
East Greenwich Pediatrics
Trident Psychological Services
East Side Psychotherapy, Inc.
Ann Adler, Ph.D., LLC
Providence Wellness, LLC
Radically Thrive Therapy, LLC
Wilder Therapy & Wellness
Bellwether Doulas
OkaySo
Secular Student Alliance
Rhode Island Atheists
Humanists of Rhode Island
Barrington United With Pride
Towards an Anti-Racist North Kingstown (TANK)
People Respecting Others With Dignity! (PROWD!)
Ryder | Talbutt Group
FabNewport
Carberry Development Group
CJG Notary of RI, LLC
Public Shop & Gallery
Sharper Harper LLC
And an additional 400+ individual signatures from across the state including medical providers,
behavioral health providers, teachers, parents, and other concerned Rhode Island.
