Don’t mess with drag queens and expect them to sit back and shrug. Or frankly, any of us queer people. Curious about an example? On Tuesday, drag queens in full glory met up at the Missouri Capitol to rally against anti-queer bills that seek to stomp on the state’s LGBTQ+ community. And they weren’t alone—queer kids came to speak, because we have indeed failed as a country to be in this position to begin with.
These bills include efforts to bar trans youth from participating in sports teams with their peers, bans on gender-affirming health care for trans minors, and bans on public drag shows. Yes, we’re in a pandemic. Yes, we’re barreling toward a recession. Yes, we’re coming up on an election year. Yes, this is what Republicans are prioritizing.
In Missouri, anti-trans efforts to ban safe, age-appropriate gender-affirming health care for trans youth come with a ban on physicians providing any gender-affirming care for people under 18, as well as a block on insurance covering such care. In terms of public drag shows, violators could face up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine if they’re caught performing drag in public or where a minor could see it, per HB 494.
Again: This is what Republicans are waging a war on? And of course, the sports debate is still alive and well—and still dehumanizing and horrifying for the young people affected.
“As a trans woman, I will not be erased,” said drag performer and TransParent advocacy leader Jordan Braxton, per the Associated Press. “As a drag queen, I will not be erased. As a human being, I will not be erased.”
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One brave kid who testified before lawmakers at the House General Laws Committee on Tuesday includes an 11-year-old trans boy who made the trip down to Jefferson City, Missouri, with his parents.
As reported by the Missouri Independent, the young man (whose name was not shared in the article) spoke specifically about the bills aimed at keeping trans students from participating in sports teams that match their gender identity, instead of being incorrectly forced into sports teams that match their sex assigned at birth.
“People keep talking about how it’s unfair,” he said. “But we’re talking about kids. Adults are always telling us it’s not about winning; it’s about having fun. And how fun would it be if you couldn’t play sports?”
Wise words from a kid who should be able to enjoy their childhood without Republicans breathing down their neck. One specific Republican in Missouri sponsored the anti-trans sports bill, Rep. Jamie Burger, and he followed the party line by claiming it’s about “fairness.”
“This law is ensuring that girls will not have to be concerned about getting to play their game fairly,” Burger stated. The game is not fair if some girls are excluded, and again, trans girls are girls. Sports do not belong to only cisgender people.
You might remember that the Missouri House already passed a bill to ban trans girls from participating in girls' sports, but it (thankfully) did not pass the Senate. And yet, here we are again.
“As trans youth, we are often discouraged or banned from playing sports with our cisgender peers,” Neon Liebson, who said they weren’t allowed to play soccer, basketball, or baseball, shared per the Independent. “Trans kids are kids, and we should be allowed to participate in activities and given equal opportunities as our authentic selves.”
Again: They’re right! Sports can be hugely empowering for team-building, self-esteem, health and fitness, and expanding one’s worldview. If a kid wants to play a sport, let them play the sport. It can be that easy—and it should be.
In line with other anti-trans sports bills, this one would require parents or guardians to sign an affidavit about their kids’ sexes … every single year. And if public schools tried to do the right thing and let a trans kid play on the team that matches their gender identity anyway, they could lose all state funding. They’d also be open to being sued by other student-athletes.
It’s mean, it’s evil, and it’s part of a widespread effort to isolate and ostracize queer people. This can look like hiding books by and about LGBTQ+ people, keeping teachers in the closet, and can bleed into how we approach public funds and cultural competency because these are all attacks on autonomy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the fight for trans (and queer) rights goes hand in hand with the fight for reproductive freedom. They are the same fight.
We’re seeing Tennessee reject federal funds for HIV testing because a relative smidge of it will go to Planned Parenthood, for example. People’s lives are at stake and Republicans are trying their hand at every way to get people to give up bodily control and autonomy if they think it's about other people’s losses, not their own.
Republicans don’t care about “fair” sports—they care about control, rigidity, and forced assimilation. That’s it.
