As of December 2024 with 669 bills under consideration in 43 states, “48 anti-trans bills have passed so far,” says translegistlation.com.
In Pennsylvania, no bills have been passed, but at least five have been introduced or are advancing. Because so many states have passed these laws, and because Pennsylvania is a swing state, concern has arisen over whether Pennsylvania could be one of the next.
“More than 90 percent of transgender youth live in states that have proposed or passed laws restricting their rights,” says williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu.
Because of this, people have wondered how these bills would affect the students of AFS. Because of its diverse population and open-mindedness towards gender identity, AFS is known as a safe environment for transgender youth to be themselves. To answer this question, we interviewed Rachel Marcus, the Abington Friends School nurse.
How do you identify?
I identify as a gender queer woman.
If anti-trans or anti-LGBTQ laws are passed in Pennsylvania, how will they affect you?
I think that the danger of anti-trans and anti-LGBT laws is pretty widespread. Personally being in a queer marriage with children, our security depends on marriage equality; additionally, I have a non-binary child who deserves all of the rights that any other child has.
How do you think they would affect the AFS community as a whole?
It feels remarkably important that all of the students in our community should be able to have the medical care, the mental health care, and support that they need. Should there be a law that outlawed students being able to get the medical care or psychological care that they need, I believe that they would likely be a crisis, both of us trying to find appropriate resources for those students, as well as a mental health crisis of those who are unable to get the care that they need.
How would it affect your job as a caregiver to the community?
Gender affirming care is life saving care. Studies after studies have shown that children and adolescents’ ability to get medical care that allows them to live as their true selves decreases the rates of suicidality, and it decreases the rate of other kinds of mental health conditions and crisis, and I believe that without it, we are setting up our entire community to see a huge amount of pain.
Solomon • Mar 4, 2025 at 1:23 pm
I find it so saddening that politicians are passing bills that are restricting the rights of trans people in the United States and frankly don’t understand why they are doing so because restricting trans people’s rights is harmful and hurts so many people. I really appreciate how this article cited the staggering and grim statistics on just the huge magnitude of legislation that has been passed and is being passed that restricts trans peoples’ rights because I think it is important for people to know the large scale of the issue so we can work to end anti-trans legislation and ensure all trans people have the same rights as anyone else. It is incredibly important that we advocate for trans people whose rights are being taken away by the government through restrictions by engaging in civil discourse and taking steps to call out anti-trans policy and continue to support trans people in solidarity.
natalie • Mar 4, 2025 at 12:54 pm
I was surprised to see that so many bills have been introduced into Congress, omitting trans rights. It is easy for one to be misled or blinded because of the mainstream media, hidden from the behind-the-scenes dangers that arise. Legislation is one that is supposed to take steps to protect the community, not combat them. Schools are peacekeeping for millions of children in the world, and it is their job to assertively support those students because, without that support, many are at a loss for strings. If a law is proposed that heavily influences a child attending their school, it is pure selfishness to sit around and pretend that everything is ok.
Drew Shenkman • Mar 4, 2025 at 12:41 pm
This article is very inspiring and well-written. Having an interview with Rachel Marcus, a dear member of our AFS community, shows exactly how these hurtful laws, that are currently in the country’s legislative circulation, will directly impact the school. It is also true that there are a good number of transgender and nonbinary students at AFS, many of whom fear that their safety is being threatened by these laws. It is very important to realize that even though these laws may not affect you personally, it can still be detrimental to those around you. I am amazed that 48 anti-trans bills have passed…