That’s really all it boils down to, I’m a transgender girl and content. I recently earned a mechanical engineering degree from school, and I currently work in Dover as an aerospace engineer. I recently completed my graduate college application, and I’m looking forward to my future. I just moved in happily with my boyfriend, and prior to my move, I never would have had the self-assurance to act in this manner. However, every time I turn to the news, I see anti-transgender politicians wreaking havoc about how awful it is that children are discovering what it means to be transgender or even that we actually exist.
In particular, on Wednesday, January 3, when our state representatives convene for the first day of session, they will have the opportunity to approve two bills that could support us while also voting on two leftover bills from last year that target transgender people like me. The unfavorable bills would undermine New Hampshire’s law against discrimination that applies to transgender people (HB 396) and ban medical care for the adolescent population. Positive legislation would make it simpler to update a birth certificate’s name and gender marker, as well as make New Hampshire safer for transgender people from other states to receive medical care (HB 368).
When I first told my doctor that I believed I was transgender, I started receiving gender-affirming care at the age of 16. She was a huge help to me in understanding who I was and the gender-affirming care process. Since I knew the longer I waited, the more inevitable the changes from puberty might be, I was eager to begin hormone treatment as soon as possible. It was a big relief when I was finally referred to an endocrinologist who offered gender-affirming care. Shortly after, my mental health started to significantly improve, and I now feel happier than ever about who I am. The backbone that gender-affirming care gave me as a student for all trans children in New Hampshire is now in jeopardy due to HB 619.
Furthermore, some of us are seeking treatment in other states because some states, like Florida, have now made it illegal to provide it to transgender people. By preventing other states from invading our position and requiring compliance with their laws and private medical information, HB 368 would protect New Hampshire’s health care providers’ independence.
That’s not to say, however, that transitioning was a magic fix for all of my issues.
Only to transform legal documentation, let alone banks, credit cards, etc., is a very time-consuming process. Mismatched IDs may occasionally endanger the safety of trans people.
The unnecessary and pointless burden of court involvement in this process could be lifted by legislators. Judges now abide by what a person’s doctor says because they lack the tools necessary to judge someone based solely on their gender. There is no justification for mandating judges perform the task of determining identity for identification documents. To change a birth certificate under HB 264, all that would be needed is a signed notice from the doctor.
It can be difficult to change your entire wardrobe, your voice to match your appearance, approach people you know and get them accustomed to your preferred name, and you may experience discrimination in social settings, to name a few. In 2018, New Hampshire passed overall clauses protections; however, some politicians are now pushing for HB 396, which aims to weaken these safeguards by creating a loophole that allows discrimination based on “biological sex.” In an effort to allow discrimination, anti-trans lawmakers are attempting to reduce me to my “biological sex” despite the fact that I live as a woman every day.
These politicians don’t see me for who I am; instead, they use me as a scare tactic to make parents fear that their children will turn transgender simply by learning about it in school. Oh, what a horrible thought! Can you even begin to imagine what it would be like if your child grew up to be just like me?
Although “protecting kids” is the main focus, in reality, they are really preventing children who require the care from receiving it.
I’m sick of legislators limiting my rights without justification, of being your go-to tool for fear-mongering, and of worrying that someone will discover that my voice is too deep or my shoulders are too broad to identify me as transgender. All I want is to be content with who I am and live my life.
In many ways, we’re doing better than before, but with intensifying social change, reaction and complacency are always a chance. I joined 603 Justice, a New Hampshire-based community organization that promotes LGBTQ+ rights, because I feel compelled to refute the narrative. To demonstrate how these bans are intended to prevent us from receiving life-saving medical care, to stop anti-trans politicians from spreading lies to incite their supporters against us, and to highlight trans excellence and positivity despite everything that is in front of us.
Everyone reading this should get involved with their community in any way they can, run for office, have challenging conversations, write to their politicians, speak to a transgender
person about what it’s really like, and refute the false narrative. However, before doing so, visit 603 Equality’s social media page and get in touch with your state representatives regarding the upcoming bills on January 3.
Alice Wade resides in Dover.
