See below for video of Virginia Delegate Danica Roem on “Pod Save America,” arguing that “what should people do in response [to anti-trans bills at the state level] is elect people who will actually take care of their constituents, who won’t single out and stigmatize the very people they’re elected to serve.” Here are a few excerpts, followed by the video. BTW, for a recent example of what Del. Roem’s talking about regarding Republicans attacking trans kids, see here for video of VA GOP 2021 gubernatorial candidate Pete Snyder ranting that he won’t stand for his daughter getting cut from her lacrosse team because of “someone who two weeks ago used to be a dude.” Seriously, he actually said that. In America. In the year 2021. Ugh.
- “One of the fights right now is about…sports and stuff like that. Here in Virginia, we took care of this six years ago. If you actually look at the model policy that the Virginia high school league uses here in Virginia, it’s a non-issue. You know, there’s an entire process that trans athletes go through…basically verifying that they’re not going to have an inherently competitive advantage over other people. At the same time, you look at the policy that we’ve done…there’s a few trans kids – but not a lot, but just a few who actually play sports in the first place here, because most kids feel too stigmatized to even do it – and you look at where we are and it’s just like what’s the point of attacking children they’re kids they want to play sports.”
- “We are just relitigating the fights from 17 years ago, only now with a new victim… so instead of attacking…gay people for wanting to get married, now they’re attacking trans kids because they’re a softer target to attack.”
- “You have to win elections everywhere – at the municipal level, at the county level, at your state level. You have to compete, you have to win. And the reason for that is what we are seeing – where are these trans bill or these anti-trans bills most likely to succeed? In Republican trifecta states, where you have a Republican governor…Republican majorities in both chambers of their state legislature.”
- “The same people who were opposing to the Equal Rights Amendment now trying to make themselves out to be the savior of girl’s sports – oh please, no no, that’s just not true.”
- “When I’m knocking on doors, I don’t ever see someone go, you know Danica, if only Virginia was more regressive towards trans people would we finally be able to fix Route 28. That’s not how it goes.”
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