A coalition of nonprofit support and advocacy groups issued the following joint statement last week:
AUGUSTA, ME – Last week, an elected official used her online social media to share a photo of a child that she identified as transgender, resulting in statewide and national harassment of a non-consenting minor.
Our organizations stand united in declaring that adults should never harass, ‘out’, or instigate attacks on minors. All children deserve our safety and protection, so they can feel safe at home, at school, and in their communities.
This year, dozens of bills have been filed that seek to threaten, roll back, or undermine the rights of trans people in our state. As these bills go through their hearings, language will get heated and tempers will get high. We urge legislators and Legislative leadership to remember that children and private citizens are off-limits, and personal attacks go against Maine values, basic decency, and endanger families. It is never okay for people in positions of power to use their
roles to draw attention or harassment toward people who are just trying to live their lives with privacy and safety.
We all want what’s best for our children. We expect our leaders will have a plan to keep the focus on the policy, not on personal attacks, and to hold policymakers accountable when their actions cause harm.
Affirming Behavioral Health — affirmingbehavioralhealth.org
Campfire Institute — campfireinstitute.org
Confluence Collective — confluencecollective.org
Defend Our Health — defendourhealth.org
Equality Community Center — eccmaine.org
EqualityMaine — equalitymaine.org
Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights — grrnow.org
Hardy Girls — hardygirls.org
Kindling Collective — kindlingcollective.org
Little Chair Printing — littlechairprinting.com
Mabel Wadsworth Center — mabelwadsworth.org
Maine Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics — maineaap.org
Maine Children’s Alliance — mainechildrensalliance.org
Maine Council of Churches — mainecouncilofchurches.org
Maine Equal Justice — maineequaljustice.org
Maine Family Planning — mainefamilyplanning.org
Maine Medical Association — mainephysicians.org
Maine Osteopathic Association — mainedo.org
Maine Public Health Association — mainepublichealth.org
Maine Women’s Lobby — mainewomen.org
Maine Youth Power — maineyouthpower.org
MaineTransNet — mainetrans.net
Multi-faith Justice Maine — mainepeoplesalliance.org
NASW Maine Chapter — naswme.socialworkers.org
OUT Maine — outmaine.org
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England — ppnne.org
Portland Outright — portlandoutright.org
Prevention. Action. Change. — pacmaine.com
SAFE Maine — safemaine.org
Southern Maine Workers’ Center — maineworkers.org
Speak About It Inc — wespeakaboutit.org
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