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I recall learning about Sen. McCarthy’s “Red Scare” at some point in high school. This scare happened in the 1950s during a heightened time of unrest and moral panic that labeled anything left of center communist and un-American. And across just my life, I’ve seen politically correct, turn into woke, and now anything DEI must be burned at the stake.
I’m reminded of the final essay of civil rights legend John Lewis, “Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation.” He wrote that it is important to study history because there is wisdom that can help us meet the challenges of today.
And today, I wonder what it will take to break the rainbow scare we are living in that has confused hurting trans children with protecting youth broadly. I wrote recently about believing in North Dakotans , and I still do, but I am dismayed to find that HB 1144 passed our House with an amendment that restricts gender-neutral, private bathrooms that share a communal sink.
As a bill prior to that amendment, I didn’t care much about it. It was silly and based on fantasy and vengeance. Bill sponsor Representative Bill Tvieit said it is about obedience .
But gender-neutral, private bathrooms are a benefit to every student and school. They increase privacy, reduce bullying and harm, allow better monitoring for student safety, and in all ways make both student and school life better. These set-ups are not made for trans kids' benefit, they are just a benefit to every student.
In 2023, the conversation was about privacy, and today we’re taking that away for obedience? We’re hurting all kids because some lawmakers see rainbows everywhere and what is a common bathroom design as nefarious plotting. When do we step back and really ask what we are doing here? North Fargo Public Schools didn’t follow the previous bill for 2 years without incident? When do we see the emperor's new clothes on this rainbow scare and manufactured fear?
The trial over North Dakota’s gender care ban featured a youth who nearly died of suicide directly because of the ban. That’s one kid we know about. And wouldn’t you guess it, this session doesn’t have any bills helping trans kids out, and we already know how much risk they’re in from lack of support. And ND HOPES , the only organization working to directly prevent trans suicide in our state, well, that work is gone now, probably by Executive Order.
These kids' lives aren’t getting better when all we do is make it worse for them, and every day what little help there is dwindles. Look, North Dakota has some great dads and proud moms, but what will it take to see these LGBTQ+ kids as your own and help them against bullies and big government? Because they’re not scary. They’re real. They need help. They’re often dorks and amazing…. and absolutely terrified right now. And we’re not helping anyone with this stuff, we’re just making kids cry.
Faye Seidler is a suicide prevention advocate and frequent contributor to Inforum.
I recall learning about Sen. McCarthy’s “Red Scare” at some point in high school. This scare happened in the 1950s during a heightened time of unrest and moral panic that labeled anything left of center communist and un-American. And across just my life, I’ve seen politically correct, turn into woke, and now anything DEI must be burned at the stake.
I’m reminded of the final essay of civil rights legend John Lewis, “Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation.” He wrote that it is important to study history because there is wisdom that can help us meet the challenges of today.
And today, I wonder what it will take to break the rainbow scare we are living in that has confused hurting trans children with protecting youth broadly. I wrote recently about believing in North Dakotans , and I still do, but I am dismayed to find that HB 1144 passed our House with an amendment that restricts gender-neutral, private bathrooms that share a communal sink.
As a bill prior to that amendment, I didn’t care much about it. It was silly and based on fantasy and vengeance. Bill sponsor Representative Bill Tvieit said it is about obedience .
But gender-neutral, private bathrooms are a benefit to every student and school. They increase privacy, reduce bullying and harm, allow better monitoring for student safety, and in all ways make both student and school life better. These set-ups are not made for trans kids' benefit, they are just a benefit to every student.
In 2023, the conversation was about privacy, and today we’re taking that away for obedience? We’re hurting all kids because some lawmakers see rainbows everywhere and what is a common bathroom design as nefarious plotting. When do we step back and really ask what we are doing here? North Fargo Public Schools didn’t follow the previous bill for 2 years without incident? When do we see the emperor's new clothes on this rainbow scare and manufactured fear?
The trial over North Dakota’s gender care ban featured a youth who nearly died of suicide directly because of the ban. That’s one kid we know about. And wouldn’t you guess it, this session doesn’t have any bills helping trans kids out, and we already know how much risk they’re in from lack of support. And ND HOPES , the only organization working to directly prevent trans suicide in our state, well, that work is gone now, probably by Executive Order.
These kids' lives aren’t getting better when all we do is make it worse for them, and every day what little help there is dwindles. Look, North Dakota has some great dads and proud moms, but what will it take to see these LGBTQ+ kids as your own and help them against bullies and big government? Because they’re not scary. They’re real. They need help. They’re often dorks and amazing…. and absolutely terrified right now. And we’re not helping anyone with this stuff, we’re just making kids cry.
Faye Seidler is a suicide prevention advocate and frequent contributor to Inforum.
