During a hearing yesterday regarding trans sports ban bill S.B. 375, transgender teenager Maëlle Jacques delivered a powerful speech that appealed to the humanity of transgender teens, highlighting the harm bills like this do to the transgender community.
“Joining the male teams wouldn’t even be a choice for me with the bullying and threats I’d receive, let alone the mental anguish I’d go through being forced to be someone I’m not,” said Jacques.
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She emphasized the important role that integration into girls’ sports teams has played throughout her life, especially as someone who came out as trans at a young age.
“When I began my transition in the sixth grade, my school welcomed me onto the girls’ team,” she said. “This act of being able to be a part of the teams I belong to allowed me to skip through the phase of social ostracization as the other girls accepted me for who I was and welcomed me.”
She added that the reason she joins girls’ sports isn’t to dominate or impose as a threat, but simply to belong and compete among her peers.
“I didn’t join sports with the goal of dominating competition or being better than anyone else. No one would go through the bullying and self-hatred of transition purely to win a sport… I joined because it’s something I’m passionate about and enjoy.”
In response to a question from New Hampshire Representative Stephen Woodcock as to whether she faced complaints from her opposing teams, Jacques said, “Never. All the other teams have been very supportive.”
“The only problems I’ve received are from outside parties, like media sources and whatnot. I’ve never received anything negative from other teams and coaches and players.”
Jacques stands strong after facing immense media backlash from the right-wing ecosystem, including multiple angry articles about her inclusion in girls’ sports, as well as facing vitriol from anti-trans advocate and 5th-place swimmer Riley Gaines.
S.B. 375 was killed in the House Education Committee in a 19-1 vote. However, a similar bill, HB1205, passed the state’s House in March and could still be passed in the state senate. These bills are another instance of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, a type of bill promoted across the country by anti-trans figures. It originated in Idaho.
New Hampshire Rep. David Luneau (D) said to PinkNews, “We think [the bill] doesn’t have any place, doesn’t have any business in New Hampshire,” he said. “And frankly, what we heard from almost 40 people yesterday that, hey, these kids just want to play and be part of the team.”
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