Equity and Justice

Advocating for vulnerable groups including LGBTQ+ communities and those impacted by the criminal legal system. We currently focus on support for members of the transgender community, including working with local trans organizations and putting together fact sheets on issues such as gender-affirming care, trans women in sports, single sex spaces, and how to be a good ally.

Youth gender-affirming care saves lives.

Youth gender-affirming care is primarily social, not surgical. Kids choose new names, pronouns, haircuts and clothes. Families may later opt for reversible medical therapies to support mental health.

Gender identity is usually set by age 7, and is not determined by social conditioning. Prior to puberty, gender affirming care is entirely social: This includes name and pronoun changes, and changes to clothing and hairstyle. No permanent medical interventions occur until the person is old enough for a truly informed consent. Every major medical organization in America supports gender-affirming care: This includes the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychiatric Association.

• JAMA: Age at First Experience of Gender Dysphoria note

• SocialWorkers.org: Debunking the Myths of Gender-Affirming Care

• AAMC: What is Gender-Affirming Care?

Everyone deserves to take care of their body in safety and privacy. 

To prevent harassment and assault in public spaces like restrooms, we need to focus on behavior, not identity. 

Restrooms are just as safe if transgender people are allowed to "go" in line with their gender identity: There is no evidenceshowing any increase in sexual harassment or abuse. There just isn't. Instead, bathroom bans cause harm by inviting violence and attacks on trans people (or those who “appear” to be trans).  

• Williams Institute: Safety in Bathrooms

• Learning for Justice: Dispelling Six Myths About Transgender Identity

• Media Matters: Comprehensive Guide to the Bathroom Predator Myth

• Center for American Progress: Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bills

Excluding transgender women from sports hurts all women.

Gender policing can subject any woman to invasive tests or accusations of being "too masculine" or "too good" to be a "real woman." Women and girls come in all shapes and sizes.

Moreover, for all sports-minded kids, playing the sport they love in an affirming space and community is critical to their physical and emotional well-being. Let’s welcome everyone!

And concerns that trans women have an unfair advantage are overblown. Despite all of the media attention, fewer than 10 transgender athletes currently compete in college sports, out of a total of 510,000 NCAA athletes. The fact is, that, after undergoing hormone therapy, muscle mass, strength, and hemoglobin levels decrease significantly. 

Learn more:

• ACLU: 4 Myths… Debunked 

• Substack: Everything You Need to Know About Transwomen in Sports 

• National Women’s Law Center: Why We Support Trans Women in Sports

What to Watch 

Want to learn more? Trans people and allies--including Sander Jennings, Jess Craven, and actor Alan Cumming--are working to help build a better understanding and fight misinformation about trans people.

• Q&A: gender-affirming care (GAC) 

• Q&A: trans women and girls in sports 

• The truth about trans women in sports 

• The importance of hotlines to support LGBTQ+ communities

• Alan Cumming on Kimmel Live! talks about trans people 

We are a team of Seattleites looking to defend human rights for all. Join our community to support and protect the progress we’ve made as a country over the past fifty years.

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