Open Letter from Miss Major and Trans Arkansans Fighting the Anti-Trans Bills

Transgender people will not be written out of existence.

For hundreds of years you have tried to erase us. We found the courage to color outside lines you drew, and this scares you. We found our peace outside your confinement. But it challenged your own sense of peace, and now you’re trying to excise us by laws that are oppressive as the gender you enforce.

Our truth will shine light onto lies and hate put into these laws. The misinformation related to transgender youth healthcare is stark as your contempt. Stories with misplaced, cherry picked facts will be debunked. The destruction of informed consent between transgender youth and competent providers will be reversed. Legalized blockades to healthcare for all transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual people will be bulldozed by the collective power of the people.

None of us are a weed you can pull. Our existence is not a pathology you can cure. It is beautiful and worthy of thriving. We are a garden whose roots run deep in humanity. We will continue to forever flourish and fight. Any obstacle you put forth will be demolished. This is not our first fight and it won’t be our last. We are beautiful. We are sacred. And we are still here.

We must ALL take action.

Just during this legislative period four harmful laws passed and more are being introduced. The people attacking us are funded by corporations, and their money talks. But collectively we can talk over them.

So we ask you join in boycotting Arkansas and the corporations that have funded these bills. Walmart has directly sponsored many of these bills, and Tyson has stood by silently. We are asking NCAA to stand in solidarity with transgender people and deny Arkansas’ ability to host any games. We ask the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship, which meant to take place in Arkansas to relocate. If any business is to stand by without taking action, then their message is loud and clear. They do not care if transgender people are endangered.

Through collective action, we can show the legislators that transgender people are welcome in Arkansas.