Reflections

​By Camille

America is a democracy. We go to the polls every couple of years to vote people in and out of office. If a specific state is unhappy with a politician’s doing, then they are replaced with another elected representative. Politicians are the face of America and represent the best interest of Americans, right? Not quite, many people, myself included, feel dissatisfied with their elected representatives and their complacency. 

Even though America is split into 50 states, and those states get the rights to create certain laws and bills for their state, that doesn’t mean every bill introduced and passed is right (morally speaking). Many politicians introduce bills that can be harmful to individuals despite claiming it’s for “America’s benefit.”

Below, I have compiled a list of bills that strip the rights of certain people:

OH HB61 Save Women’s Sports Act (Proposed, not passed)

• This bill in Ohio would ban transgender people from participating in high school and college sports. It would also require a genital check from a doctor for those that wish to participate in sports. In case this wasn’t clear, this bill is transphobic and seeks to isolate and condemn transgender people. Unsurprisingly, other states have their version of this bill. 

AL SB184 (Passed)

• This bill in Alabama prevents parents and doctors from helping minors get healthcare that pertains to anything that is gender-affirming. The penalty is criminal prosecution and jail time. This is yet another bill that serves to harm trans people. 

FL HB 1557 Don’t Say Gay (Passed)

• This bill prevents teachers to talk about anything related to sexuality and gender identity from Kindergarten to 3rd grade. This bill is harmful in the sense it completely erases the identity of the LGBTQ+ community and it does not normalize different identities and sexualities. Not to mention, many conservatives think “saying gay” is a form of grooming. 

IA HF 170 (Proposed) 

• This bill would allow people to discriminate on the basis of their religion against other individuals. Essentially religious people can discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. This is quite hypocritical because a lot of devoutly religious people feel as though they are judged for their religion.

Roe v Wade (Overturned)

• The biggest one on the list because it affected everyone everywhere. There are a few misconceptions on this one. Essentially, the overturning of Roe v Wade means that women are no longer protected by law, therefore any state can ban abortions. However, the democratic states are choosing to keep abortion legal and have offered to harbor anyone from Republican states where it may be illegal. While the Supreme Court isn’t elected by the people, the presidents that we elect can choose who gets to fill in 1 of 9 seats. 

As you can see, many bills that are proposed/passed/overturned tend to be discriminatory towards a certain group of people. Many people feel frustrated because they feel there is nothing they can do to deter these bills from being passed. America has moved from a culture of freedom to a culture of hatred and it is evident through our politicians. We can no longer be a free country until we see that everyone has the same rights no matter who they are. I will continue advocating for those who are having their rights stripped away, and so should you. 

Remember to take care of yourself!

• The Trevor Project
• SAMHSA’s National Hotline
• Global Mental Health Resources

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