Signs reading “Save Girls Sports” are now everywhere in Putnam County and beyond, pushed by extremist groups such as Moms for Liberty to deter voters from voting for Proposition 1 on the back of the ballot.
The false implication of the signs is that Proposition 1 — along with another now-tabled proposal by the New York Board of Regents to allow mixed-gender sports — will somehow threaten cisgender girls, because it would let trans and nonbinary students play on sports teams that align with their gender identity.
This is an imaginary problem. As the Human Rights Campaign notes, trans and nonbinary kids “are a small part of the overall population in schools, and only about half of trans youth identify as girls (opponents don’t seem as interested in trans boys, who they assume will not be able to compete with cisgender boys — a sexist assumption).”
Among trans youth who identify as girls, relatively few are interested in playing sports. As in the general population, many people are not athletically inclined or interested in the commitment required by sports.
With a state law already in place (the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA) that mandates kids can join teams of their gender identity, the real-world instances of it happening are few. To suggest there is an epidemic of trans and nonbinary athletes infiltrating school sports is absurd.
In fact, Proposition 1 and the delayed Regents proposal would protect girls who want to play sports without equivalent girls’ teams by ensuring their right to play on boys’ teams. Opponents suggest these measures would result in an onslaught of boys pushing girls out of sports like field hockey and softball; in fact, it would overwhelmingly benefit cisgender girls.
What “Save Girls Sports” signs mask is that Proposition 1 is about far more than this issue. It would chiefly codify access to abortion services in the state constitution so that they could not be rolled back in the post-Roe era, and it would codify anti-discrimination laws under GENDA, making it harder to overturn protections for LGBTQ+, elderly, disabled and minoritized populations.
The signs also blatantly vilify trans and nonbinary kids, and this will lead to real-life harm. According to a 2023 survey, about half of transgender and nonbinary youth said they had seriously considered suicide in the past year. Anti-trans lies and legislation are killing kids around the country. Don’t contribute to the problem by falling for these transphobic ploys. Please vote yes on Proposition 1.
Anthony Arrien, Putnam Valley
The letter was also signed by Gina Sanchirico of Putnam Valley and Eileen McDermott of Brewster.
As New Yorkers, many of us might feel safe, even complacent about our ability to access the full range of reproductive health care options, including abortion and in vitro fertilization. Depending on where we live in the state, we also might feel that our vote doesn’t count, so why bother?
In 2024, nothing could be further from the truth. This year, New York must pass the Prop 1 ballot referendum to safeguard reproductive rights, health care access and protections against discrimination for all — including women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, seniors and those with disabilities — in our state constitution.
These protections might not seem necessary today, but they will provide a critical firewall in case conservative extremists ever gain control in Albany. That’s why a billionaire extremist dropped more than $6 million to blitz the airwaves with misinformation in a cynical effort to defeat it.
We don’t know a lot about the shadowy political action committee behind the negative ads, but we do know and trust the organizations who are supporting Prop 1, including Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts, the National Institute of Reproductive Health, the New York Civil Liberties Union, NAACP New York and powerhouses of organized labor, including 1199SEIU and New York State United Teachers.
We’ve seen this playbook before. Let’s ensure we and everyone we know turns out to prove New York voters won’t be taken in by fearmongering and lies.
Let’s make a commitment to equality and freedom by voting yes on Prop 1.
Julie Shiroishi, Beacon
Shiroishi is the executive director of Eleanor’s Legacy, which supports pro-choice Democratic women candidates in New York state.
