Today, Fair Wisconsin will testify before the Senate Committee on Education in opposition to SB 120, a bill that would threaten students’ ability to use affirming names and pronouns in schools.
In addition to mobilizing community members to testify in-person and collecting written testimony to submit on behalf of Wisconsinites, Fair Wisconsin’s Executive Director Abigail Swetz will testify in opposition to SB 120.
From Fair Wisconsin’s testimony:
We must have inclusive policies in our schools that support trans youth in seeking out the help they need; SB 120 is the opposite of that inclusion, instead feeding into a false dichotomy being set up between parents and school staff, when all of us just want what is best for kids.
Being trans in America right now means living in a toxic, fundamentally unsafe environment. Our schools can provide our trans young people with some measure of safety and support, and thank goodness for that. But bills like this one threaten that safety and support by using something as simple yet meaningful as a name to pit teachers and parents against one another, trapping the kid they love in the middle. It does not have to be this way. You can choose to stop this harmful bill here. You can choose to be a part of safety for these kids rather than a part of the threat. Vote NO on Senate Bill 120.
Affirming names and pronouns help our kids grow into the awesome adults this state needs. Ensuring our kids are happy, healthy, and present for learning is how we create not only their bright futures, but also our own.
Full testimony from Swetz is attached, as well as a voice recording of the above excerpt.
Previous testimony delivered on AB 103 can be found on Fair Wisconsin’s press room webpage.
