NCTE Policy Director to Louisville Youth Group: "Thank You for Being Your Amazing Selves"
Last month, members of the Louisville Youth Group, a community organization for LGBTQIA youth in the Louisville area, wrote a letter to NCTE's Policy Director, Harper Jean Tobin. The letter can be found here.
Harper Jean's response follows:
Dear Louisville Youth Group members,
Thank you so much for your letter. As a Louisville native who visits regularly, it means the world to me to hear from you. For more than 25 years, LYG has supported Louisville area teens in living their truth, building community, and reaching for success, even when other youth or adults do not understand their gender identity or sexual orientation. With the horrifying tragedy in Orlando, and even before that with Kentucky’s governor announcing he will join a political lawsuit to spread fear and strip rights from trans youth, you may be feeling more than ever that you are under siege. I want you to know know that there are people around Louisville, around the Commonwealth, and around the country who stands with you. NCTE stands with you, and together we will continue to make things better for all young people.
At times like this it’s important to remember the tremendous progress that has been made in understanding, support, and protection for LGBTQ youth, including transgender and gender nonconforming youth, around the country—including in the Bluegrass State— in the last few years. Along with all my colleagues at the National Center for Transgender Equality, we join you in celebrating that progress. These incredible advancements have not happened simply because leaders in Washington chose to do the right thing, or even because organizations like NCTE, or the Fairness Campaign (founded when I was a Louisville teen) pressed for them. The practical, fair-minded guidance from the federal government built on the experiences of schools around the country over many years—including Jefferson County Public Schools (which adopted a gender identity nondiscrimination policy in 2015) and my alma mater, Atherton High School (which adopted supportive policies in 2014). While many state superintendents, education and child health groups, and courts have lent their support, the most important conversations have not been happening in courtrooms or boardrooms.
Fundamentally, the progress we have seen across the country at the local, state, and now also the federal level has happened because of the courage of countless thousands of young trans people coming out and sharing their stories with their peers and neighbors. It has happened because of the voices of hundreds of thousands of young people who are not trans themselves but care about their friends who are. It has happened because of countless thousands of parents and family members listening, understanding, and going to bat for the young people in their lives. It is the result of teachers, school counselors, youth mentors, clergy, and others who have recognized that protecting trans youth both part of their job and the clear right thing to do.
We have come as far as we have because of all of these people—adults, but especially youth themselves—speaking their truths, patiently answering questions, dispelling fears, and showing that giving trans youth a fair chance is just not that complicated and in fact benefits us all. I may not know you all personally, but I can say with confidence that each and every one of you has played a part. You should be very proud.
As you said yourselves, there is still more work to be done. We know that there are still young people today in Jefferson County, around Kentucky, and throughout the nation who are afraid to go to school tomorrow. We know there are still youth who cannot focus in class because they are painfully holding their bladders all day long. We know there are too many who in one way or another are struggling to be respected for who they are. At NCTE, we hear from them, and from the adults who care about them, every day. Maybe some of you, or your friends, are still facing these hurdles, in school or elsewhere in your lives. And we have all been reminded in the most terrible way just how dangerous homophobia and transphobia can be. But once again, remember: We stand together. People around the Commonwealth and the nation stand with us. The federal government stands with us. And together we will keep on making things better.
Thank you so much—for being your amazing selves, for supporting each other, and for everything you do to make Louisville and the world a better place.
Sincerely yours,
Harper Jean Tobin, Esq.
Director of Policy, National Center for Transgender Equality
Atherton High School Class of ‘99
Highland Middle School Class of ‘95
