Transgender in Texas

FIRST General Forum
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I’m starting a new thread and reposting my words from yesterday, since my post was at the end of a very, very long thread, and a 16 day gap - and people suggested it!

Thank you all for the very long discussion about transgender concerns and Worlds in Houston, Texas. Hearing that so many other FIRST participants are concerned about this situation means a lot to me - and to the students on my team. They’re concerned about the real threats - but also just about being in a place where this sort of threat can be made.

Our team won Engineering Inspiration at our week 1 event (woohoo!) and we are headed to Houston for World Championships. But many team members, LGBTQ+ and not, are worried about their physical and emotional safety in Texas right now. This is especially true for our transgender team members . I have written a letter from mentors and sent it to FIRST ( [email protected]) and have also created a petition that I will also email to FIRST. Students on my team are writing their own letter. I will post my letter below as well as my petition, in case you would like to send your own letter, or to sign on to this petition.

Petition: Ask FIRST to Support Trangender Youth in Texas

Letter:
Dear FIRST

Our team, 2491 NoMythic, recently won the Engineering Inspiration award at the 2022 Northern Lights Regional. We were thrilled and immediately began dreaming and planning our trip to Houston.

However, we had to grapple with a hard question first: should we go to Houston? Our team has wrestled with this for the last week in light of Texas Governor Abott’s executive order about transgender youth. We examined closely whether we could keep all of our team members safe in Houston, especially our LGBTQ+ members. We actually considered boycotting this event. This issue is important to us. It’s not about just the safety of some of our members - it’s about standing by and allowing injustice. That hurts us all.

As a part of our discussion we delved into the FIRST Youth Protection Program, designed to keep our team members safe. The FIRST Diversity and Inclusion policy says that FIRST is prioritizing underrepresented, underserved and vulnerable populations, including our LGBTQ+ youth.

This year, taking the LGBTQ+ youth to Houston feels scary. We know that the Texas Governor’s Executive Order calling on teachers and others to report medical treatments provided to transgender adolescents has been temporarily blocked by the courts, but the threat has made the nonbinary and transgender youth on our team feel very scared. They are afraid that such official support of LGBTQ+ discrimination will give ordinary people in Texas license to call them names or treat them badly. It makes us worry too.

We think this gives FIRST a wonderful opportunity to stand by it’s LGBTQ+ students. We call on FIRST to stand with our LGBTQ+ youth at this event. To publicly say that in this organization, LGBTQ+ youth have safe space. That the people of this organization, and the organization itself stand behind them.

As a beginning, we’d like FIRST to take two steps:

From the stage in Houston, read a statement in support of all underserved, underrepresented and vulnerable populations in FIRST. Reaffirm FIRST’s commitment to these groups. And then speak specifically to this one group that has been recently attacked - and in the state where the competition is being held. Affirm that Gracious Professionalism holds every FIRST participant to watch out for our LGBTQ+ members, supporting them to be full members of our community, and leaving their health care in the hands of their doctors and parents. Ask our FIRST community to watch out for their fellow participants, within the competition venue and beyond it.

Refrain from signing any new contracts for Worlds in Houston unless the Governors executive action in reference to transgender youth and their families is recinded or struck down by the courts. Ensure that Governor Abbott is aware of FIRST’s plans in this regard.

We have decided to attend, because we believe in FIRST’s ability to inspire young people toward science and technology. Because it works for our kids. Because we don’t want our kids to lose out. Please validate our belief in FIRST by taking steps to show that FIRST doesn’t just give lip service to this mission, vision and policy - it actually stands by it.

With inclusion, teamwork, and gracious professionalism,

The mentors of 2491 NoMythic

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Thank you for doing this. I really hope FIRST follows through, as it would demonstrate a commitment to not only their own stated values, but the safety and welfare of queer participants everywhere. A lack of action from FIRST in this regard would be very chilling.

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I think any reasonable person would be in agreement here. No one is safe until we’re all safe. FIRST forgoing the protection of one group would not be great, to put it mildly.

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Thank you all. I’ve never been prouder to be a NoMythic alum.

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Your first request (demand?) seems perfectly reasonable to me. As you stated, these are already part of FIRST’s organizational policy (via D&I policy and YPP as well as the very definition of GP), so making a public statement on the largest stage they have seems like something that should be easy to do.

The second one should also be easy to do, however, the contract for the next couple years is likely already signed. FIRST usually signs these as multi-year agreements, and at least 1-2 years in advance. If for no other reason but to guarantee the dates needed to maintain the current event schedule.

Having said that, I just wanted to thank you for taking the initiative and sharing your concerns publicly with the rest of the community. They’re shared by many, so you’re absolutely not alone here.

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For sure, Fletch. That’s why I asked them not to sign any new contracts. Contracts are hard and big. And speak loudly!

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Hey, I just want to start off by saying that you are an all-star for putting this together.

I don’t think it’s fair to anyone who could be subjected to the draconian and bigoted executive direction of the Texas governor to mince words. While I lack complete understanding of the expected timelines and outcomes of this in the courts, but there is a nonzero chance that the injunction can be lifted before/during the championship event, and as such, being there would be jeopardizing the safety of trans students, their families, their peers, and the adults charged with chaperoning the trip. The intentionally vague machinations and the binding actions are taking place under non-binding legal memos by an attorney general who is more than willing to create political enemies out of thin air. Now the executive branch has set their sights on children. I genuinely think that if you attend this event with trans students, you are putting them and many other people at direct legal risk and seeking the mercy of Texas’ statewide department of “public safety”.

We think this gives FIRST a wonderful opportunity to stand by it’s LGBTQ+ students. We call on FIRST to stand with our LGBTQ+ youth at this event. To publicly say that in this organization, LGBTQ+ youth have safe space. That the people of this organization, and the organization itself stand behind them.
As a beginning, we’d like FIRST to take two steps:
From the stage in Houston, read a statement in support of all underserved, underrepresented and vulnerable populations in FIRST. Reaffirm FIRST’s commitment to these groups. And then speak specifically to this one group that has been recently attacked - and in the state where the competition is being held. Affirm that Gracious Professionalism holds every FIRST participant to watch out for our LGBTQ+ members, supporting them to be full members of our community, and leaving their health care in the hands of their doctors and parents. Ask our FIRST community to watch out for their fellow participants, within the competition venue and beyond it.
Refrain from signing any new contracts for Worlds in Houston unless the Governors executive action in reference to transgender youth and their families is recinded or struck down by the courts. Ensure that Governor Abbott is aware of FIRST’s plans in this regard.
We have decided to attend, because we believe in FIRST’s ability to inspire young people toward science and technology. Because it works for our kids. Because we don’t want our kids to lose out. Please validate our belief in FIRST by taking steps to show that FIRST doesn’t just give lip service to this mission, vision and policy - it actually stands by it.

This all, in my opinion, should be the bare minimum to ask of Manchester. The George R Brown Convention Center is owned and operated by a publicly owned corporation. The event Manchester holds there generates a direct positive financial benefit to the coffers to the general fund of the state of Texas – a state whose executive branch who consistently displayed their commitment to endangering human rights and providing a hostile environment to those who disagree with them. This is to say nothing of the tax revenue teams from across the world will contribute to the state’s general fund through the hotel accommodations, food purchases, local services, airport car rentals, etc. Refusing to sign on with any future agreements with the state of Texas to help finance their crusades is clear as day.

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What’s the safety of every queer student and their families worth, compared to the cost of breaking a hypothetical contract in 2023? Changing things this year, there is an argument that it’s too late for that - but more than a year away? Given the real possibility that the court challenge to the law may fail - is it really worth endangering students and families to avoid a hypothetical cancellation cost? Would one want to be part of a program that really felt that way?

A quick search of FRC press releases and the like shows that back when the deal was announced, the venues were only under contract until 2021. No new deal has been announced (which doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist, after all the current year is 2022), so it isn’t clear how long the venues are locked down for. That said, it’s not like FIRST doesn’t have a backup venue already reserved - the one in Detroit! We went down to one Champs this year, maybe just do Detroit next year, who knows.

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Oh absolutely. I’m not trying to imply the value of breaking contracts is somehow worth more than human life. I was only commenting on OP’s specific point about not signing new contracts, and how contracts like this are often signed years in advance, so it’s not a near-term pressure point.

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Thanks so much for making this petition! Ive been trying to send it out to all my friends and such so it gets spread around lol
As a trans person who does frc, thanks everyone who’s signed so far!

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Thank you all for your support on this petition and on making the FIRST community a safe place for all transgender - and all - people.
My team delivered the petition - with almost 900 signatures - to FRC Pit Admin, where we were able to give it to Miriam Somero, FIRST field operations manager for a large area that includes Minnesota (where we are from). We got to hear about the many supportive actions that FIRST staff have been taking.
We were also inspired by the number of teams and participants that were displaying rainbow flags, buttons, and other images.
The number and visible labeling of gender-free bathrooms was also wonderful, including locations not far from our pit.
So no, I haven’t heard back from FIRST yet. But in so many ways, small and large, I’m seeing a huge uprising of the FIRST community to support our LGBTQ+ and specifically transgender members, and it’s amazing. THAT is the organization I am proud to be part of.

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I’m glad you were able to hand this directly to Miriam. Miriam is one of the HQ staff members that’s been around for a while and gets it. I’m sure everyone at HQ is still recovering from champs (noticed a few out of office responses on today still!), but I’d recommend an email follow up in a few days if you’re seeking a response (either to Miriam directly or support).

I’m glad you had an overall positive experience!

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