Moment of Clarity in a Noisy News Cycle

Over the past few days, there has been a surge of media focus on transgender youth, the backdrop of which comes during an increasingly difficult and scary time. Moments like this can feel overwhelming—especially when headlines are designed to provoke fear rather than create understanding.

So let me start by saying this loud and clear: we see you, and we are right here alongside you. There are so many ways for you to stay connected, whether it’s following us on social media, attending one of our regular programs, or reaching out for resources. Please don’t hesitate to connect; promise we’ll be here making good trouble.

Friend, I want to share my thoughts with you, not only about recent news, but perhaps more importantly, to amplify what often gets lost in the noise. Two developments in particular have driven recent headlines:

A U.S. Supreme Court case concerning transgender youth participation in sports, and
A newly introduced bill in Vermont (H.576) addressing access to gender-affirming health care.

Both deserve thoughtful, grounded context.

The Supreme Court Case on Trans Youth and Sports

The case now before the Supreme Court of the United States is framed as a defining moment for youth sports. In reality, it says far more about adultism - discrimination against young people based on the assumption that adults are inherently superior and entitled to control and/or dismiss youth due to their age - and adult politics, than it does about young people. The stakes are too high to get this one wrong.

What I want offer you:

Youth development matters. Young people are not miniature adults, and their bodies, brains, and sense of self develop over time and at different rates. Mental health professionals, pediatricians, and adolescent specialists overwhelmingly agree that physical development, puberty timelines, cognitive maturity, and social-emotional growth vary widely among all youth. There is no single, linear (dare I say straight) path through adolescence. Which is why youth-centered policies matter and must be based on developmental truths rather than adultist assumptions and projections. When we ignore the realities of lived youth experience, we risk creating policies that are not only inaccurate, but actively harm young people.

This debate is disconnected from reality. When we’re talking about transgender youth athletes, we are talking about a very small number of young people nationwide, often fewer than a handful in an entire state, who just wanna have a healthy outlet and participate in school sports alongside their peers. Can you imagine the change that could be made if politicians poured into suicide prevention the amount of resources they’re investing into hating trans youth?! Anti-trans groups and leaders are inflating isolated situations into sweeping narratives to stoke fear and misinformation around a tiny population of young people whose primary goal is not competitive advantage, but connection, confidence, and belonging. It’s truly sickening, and must be stopped!

This is a distraction. At a time when young people across the country are struggling with increasing anxiety, depression, and suicide rates, we must be prioritizing youth mental health, school safety, access to comprehensive healthcare, housing stability, food security and educational equity. Instead, extremists are manufacturing controversy around youth whose lives are already made harder by misinformation and targeted hate. When we fixate on fear-based narratives, we fail to address the real, urgent challenges facing all youth. That failure has consequences.

At its core, no matter how the headlines try to spin it, this case is NOT about protecting young people in sports. It’s about using them to generate outrage, and distract us from the real issues eroding our collective health. We should all be very concerned.

H.576 - The Vermont Bill on Gender-Affirming Care

Here in Vermont, a bill recently introduced has also generated headlines and misinformation. I want to be very clear about what this legislation actually represents.

This bill reflects Vermont at its best.

It aligns with established medical standards. This bill is grounded in decades of clinical research and the consensus of leading medical and mental health professionals who specialize in pediatric and adolescent care. It reflects evidence-based guidelines that emphasize careful assessment, age-appropriate healthcare, and ongoing monitoring. These standards exist to ensure safety, effectiveness, and, most importantly, the health and well-being of patients. This is not experimental care, nor is it driven by political ideology. It is supported by the same rigorous, professional framework used across all areas of healthcare.

It centers patient-provider decision-making. The bill affirms that healthcare decisions should be made by the people closest to the situation: young people, their families or caregivers, and qualified, licensed clinicians. These decisions are deeply personal and often complex, requiring trust, expertise, and individualized care. By protecting this relationship, the bill ensures that lawmakers are not substituting unfounded extremist ideology for medical expertise or family insight.

It reflects Vermont values. Vermont has long been a state that leads with compassion, common sense, and respect for individual dignity. We trust science. We value community well-being. We believe in caring for one another, especially our most vulnerable. This bill is consistent with these values and upholds what Vermonters have demonstrated time and again.

It is life-saving. Access to age-appropriate, medically necessary gender-affirming care is associated with significantly lower rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide risk among transgender youth. For many young people, this care is not about comfort or preference, it is about survival. Recognizing and protecting access to medically necessary gender-affirming care is a public health imperative. This is not a political statement; it is a reflection of well-documented outcomes and the real lives at stake.

The work of the Vermont Legislature in introducing this bill ensures that Vermonters can access the healthcare they need to survive and thrive.

Why I’m Naming This Moment

Transgender youth are not a talking point. They are real, brilliant, and amazing people. They are students. They are members of our families and communities.

When we slow down, look at the facts, and listen to medical experts and youth themselves, a clearer picture emerges: