Fairness PA’s statement on Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 9
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2025
CONTACT:
Gillian Kratzer, gillian@fairnesspenn.org
Harrisburg, PENNSYLVANIA — Fairness Pennsylvania, a statewide civil rights organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ people, released the following statement in response to passage of Senate Bill 9 out of the Pennsylvania Senate:
“The Pennsylvania Senate voted in favor of a bill that takes aim at transgender students, attempting to block them from participating in school sports based on their gender identity. Let’s be clear: this bill is unnecessary, mean-spirited, and deeply out of step with the values that most Pennsylvanians hold dear.
This legislation doesn’t make schools stronger. It doesn’t make sports safer or more fair. What it does is single out a small group of young people and tell them they don’t belong. That message isn’t just wrong—it’s dangerous. Every kid deserves the chance to be part of a team, to learn, to grow, and to find their place. No child should be told they’re too different to play.
Transgender students are already navigating a world that can be cruel and unforgiving. They face more bullying, more isolation, and more mental health challenges than their peers. And let’s be clear, those challenges start with adults, not their fellow students. When politicians use them to score cheap political points, the damage cuts deep. These aren’t political talking points. They’re kids. Classmates. Teammates. Friends. They’re just trying to live their truth in a world that too often tells them not to.
We know people across Pennsylvania have different perspectives. We don’t all agree on every issue. But we should be able to agree that every child deserves to be treated with dignity. For conservatives who believe in local control and limited government, this bill is an overreach—stripping schools and families of the ability to make decisions based on what’s best for their students. For anyone who believes in fairness and freedom, this kind of discrimination should have no place in our laws.
We can support girls’ and women’s sports without attacking transgender kids. We can invest in equity, access, and opportunity for all students without singling out a few to exclude. This bill offers no real solutions—just fear and division.
Let’s not pretend this is about protecting children. It’s about punishing them. And one day, we’ll look back and ask how so many got this so wrong.
We’re calling on members of the PA House of Representatives—Republicans, Democrats, everyone—to do the right thing. Reject this harmful bill. Stand up for decency. And remember what this fight is really about: a child’s right to belong.”
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Fairness Pennsylvania is the statewide civil rights advocacy organization dedicated to fair treatment and civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Pennsylvanians. Our mission is to ensure LGBTQ+ people can be open, honest and safe at home, at work, and in the community. We are open to everyone who believes in fundamental fairness.
