Advocates Show Support For Transgender Youth At State Capitol

Local LGBTQ+ advocates have been vocal since Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the ‘Save Women’s Sports Act’ into law last week.

Sunday night at the Capitol steps, athletic shoes were placed by trans and queer members of the community, a symbol that they are standing up against the new legislation.

Rally organizers sent a message to young people impacted by ‘Save Women's Sports Act’, stating, "We care about you, and you deserve a childhood, just like everyone else."

The new law bans transgender girls from playing in women’s school sports at every academic level and requires all students to identify their biological sex at birth before playing sports.

Director of Volunteers for the Boiling Point Organization, Skye Brunken-Atkins, said during a speech at the event Sunday night that they are speaking up because they want to protect future generations.

"We will not let the future of our community and the future of our country be told they can't do what they love because they are different. These shoes represent the future of our state. The path they will be on and the impact they will make in our lives."

Fiona Morford, an activist with Boiling Point Organization, said she believes the bill is an attack on young trans people.

"It comes after a group of people that are extremely marginalized and it comes after a problem that does not exist. It is a solution looking for a problem.”

Gov. Stitt says the legislation is meant to protect women and ensure an even playing field.

“What we are trying to accomplish here is very, very simple. We are protecting women’s sports,” Stitt said.

So far, the ACLU of Oklahoma has said it is exploring possible legal recourse against the measure.