Im shaking im literally shaking im so fucking livid right now
they did this with the only "pressure" being an initial lawsuit and a statement that the trump administration would take action
they did this on wednesday 8/20 when the first day of school is 8/24 leaving no time for reaction
they did this despite knowing that this will KILL trans children (the goal?)
if you live in maryland or anne arundel county, it is YOUR OBLIGATION to fight back against this. below the cut, i will include details on where you can testify and what to include in your testimony.
if you do not live in maryland, please share this where you can. try to reach as many people who can influence this as possible.
THINGS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR TESTIMONY
in most cases, verbal public testimony is limited by time. it is important to include why this is important and how it is impacting your community. if you are a trans student or alumni of aacps, an educator, or the parent of a trans student, your testimony is especially valuable! if you have a compelling personal testimony, please feel free to use that instead of what i have listed below.
here are some statistics that you should continuously put in their faces.
from the 2022 US Transgender Survey, conducted by Advocates for Trans Equality, which had over 92,000+ respondents. relevant findings are:
14% more respondents who reported family rejection also reported suicidal ideation than those who did not report family rejection
18% more respondents who reported family rejection also reported attempting suicide than those who did not report family rejection
a 2026 report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness in partnership with Advocates for Trans Equality highlights newly released data from the 2022 survey above. they found:
trans people already see homelessness at 8x the rate of the general population
trans people who are stigmatized and rejected are MORE LIKELY to experience homelessness
trans people who had specifically indicated that they were homeless within the last 12 months were TWICE AS LIKELY to have experienced family rejection
homelessness is more dangerous for trans people: 59% of trans people who ever experienced homelessness contemplated suicide compared to 38% of other trans respondents and 5% of the general population
there was also a 2011 survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality which had nearly 6,500 responses and had sections focusing on relationships with significant others, friends, families, and allies. they found:
57% of respondents experience some form of family rejection
55% of respondents reported that their family was not as strong
Nearly 20% of respondents reported that they experienced domestic/family violence because of their gender identity
48% of those that experience domestic/family violence also experienced homelessness
Those who had experienced family rejection/domestic or familial violence also had "sharply different risks" from those who did not in the following factors: suicide attempts (51% v 32%), homelessness (48% v 9%), drug/alcohol use (47% v 19%), and sex work (29% v 7%)
these are just some of the numerous articles on these topics, which show more frequently than not that this will disproportionately impact trans girls as well as black and indigenous trans people.
these policy changes endanger the lives and safety of trans CHILDREN and put them at risk of abuse and abandonment at the hands of their own parents.
WHERE, WHO, AND HOW TO CONTACT
email superintendent mark bedell directly ([email protected]). flood his inbox with your disapproval of his letter and his decision. show him the statistics and the impact of his decision. make him reckon with it.
attend and testify at anne arundel county (aac) board of education meetings. the next ones are 9/2 and 9/16. (you can find their meeting schedule here) they have not yet posted the agenda or link to sign up to make comment but they will post those things at this link. even if you do not get a slot for public comment, you can show up and protest.
contact each individual member of the board of education, especially if you are in their district (find your district here). their names, emails, and districts are:
Gloria Dent (President), district 1, [email protected]
Dawn Pulliam (Vice President), district 7, [email protected]
Robert Silkworth, district 2, [email protected]
Erica McFarland, district 3, [email protected]
Sarah J. McDermott, district 4, [email protected]
Dana Schallheim, district 5, [email protected]
Joanna Bache Tobin, district 6, [email protected]
demand that they reverse this decision. present them with the above statistics, with your own research, with personal stories. make them confront the blood that will be on their hands. demand that they make a public statement denouncing this decision.
attend and testify at aac county council meetings. the next ones are 9/8 and 9/23. sign up to testify at the sept 8th meeting here. the form closes at 3 pm on 9/8. the same link will be used to sign up for 9/23 and will be updated at some point after the 9/8 meeting. you can also submit a digital written testimony here. even if you do not get a slot for public comment, you can still show up and protest.
you can also go above the county level and to various state level contacts. there are six state general assembly districts that overlap with aac (districts 12, 21, 30, 31, 32, and 33). here is a list of all state senators and representatives in these districts (along with their office address, phone number, and email addresses). do not let these people rest. demand that the state do something to address this. demand legislative action. demand that they use their influence and political power to speak out against the decision of the superintendent.
but marylanders need to go beyond aac. if aac will not protect trans students, then we need to call upon the state government to do so.
find your maryland state representatives here (select the "lookup" button to put in your address). contact them with the demand that the state address the fact that its counties are starting to cave. demand that they do not let their counties do the same. demand public statements and legislative action.
contact the office of governer wes moore directly. here is a list of various methods of contact. explain why you are unhappy with this decision and how this impacts trans youth. demand all of the above and more.
and do not stop when these people begin to acquiesce. you must continue to make these demands until laws are enshrined and you must stay vigilant even after.
this is not comprehensive. this is just the beginning of a fight that is in the middle of a much larger war. the best thing to do is organize within your communities and if you are in a position to do so, stand up for the trans youth around you.
