Must Reads
Must Reads
A group calling itself the Minnesota Child Protection League ran an ad in Minneapolis' Star Tribune this weekend trying to use scare tactics to stop an inclusive policy that would allow trans students to participate in sports as the gender by which they identify.
The group was first created to stop a bill that would create safe and supportive schools provided by prohibiting bullying in Minnesota, HF826. Now they are using the same kinds of scare tactics to rile parents afraid that their young girls might be ogled (or worse) by boys in the shower. You can read the "scary" proposed trans-inclusive policy here.
When a furor erupted amongst some readers, the Star Tribune sent this statement to City Pages:
In Minnesota, organizations and individuals of all kinds — left, right, other — know that if you want to reach the largest audience and have the biggest impact with your message, the best way to do it is advertising in the Star Tribune.
I am so for freedom of speech, but it would be nice to think major newspapers would take some discretion when accepting ads not to perpetuate outdated stereotypes and create an environment of fear.
Alas, that's all this non-profit group cares about really: Creating fear around what is designed to be an empowering policy. With suicide attempts among trans people 10 times the national average and bullying and harassment in schools of gender-non-conforming students so high, you'd think an organization that claims to be against bullying would embrace such a policy. Instead, they will use often-vulnerable trans youth to further their hatred.
