I am a teenager asking you to learn about the experiences of trans youth

LGBTQ+ youth are under attack in Iowa.

That might sound like hyperbole, but with the recent bill making its way through the Iowa Legislature, it would be illegal to announce, promote or instruct on LGBTQ+ issues in kindergarten through eighth grade. This effectively silences any communication related to sexuality or gender in the classroom. What’s worse, schools would also be required to communicate any information a student shares about their gender to their parents if it differs from their “biological sex.”

Let me give you some perspective: I’m a gay teenager attending a Catholic high school in Iowa, ground zero for this war against LGBTQ+ kids. I’ve witnessed what spawns from limited education on gender and sexuality. I’ve become jaded to the relentless bullying, assault and death threats brought upon my peers. I haven’t met a gay or trans student who hasn’t thought of harming themselves because of this treatment. Silence isn’t saving children: It’s killing them. Gay and trans people exist. We’re not going away any time soon, which is why hosting open discussions about LGBTQ+ topics, particularly in middle school, is essential to developing healthier communities.

When Gov. Kim Reynolds and legislators peddle the idea of such discussions “corrupting” youth, they treat us like frogs ready for dissection. LGBTQ+ identity is more than clinical language and anatomy. When you talk about a husband and wife, you don’t immediately jump to thinking about their sex life. That’s inappropriate and invasive.

Similarly, acknowledging our existence does not mean you have to explain the logistics of intercourse to a 5-year-old. It’s as simple as saying some girls love other girls or not all girls look the same. Middle school is often the first place we begin thinking about sex and gender. It’s an incredibly vulnerable journey of self-discovery that needs proper guidance in a fact-based, educational environment.

I was fortunate enough to have parents to fill in the gaps of knowledge that Catholic sex-ed could not, but I know others who weren’t as lucky. Some of my friends have parents who’ve kicked them onto the streets for even questioning their gender identity. With this bill requiring teachers to report children’s preferences concerning gender to their guardians, we run the risk of losing more kids to violent abuse and homelessness. What’s the point? Why censor vital education on the realities of LGBTQ+ people?

The answer, as history has often informed us, is fear. By nature, parents agonize over the best choices for their children, leaving them vulnerable to bigoted language from manipulative people seeking personal gain. They’ll fall back on old stereotypes and claim to be protecting your children from “corruption.” They’ll deliver justice. They’ll keep your kids safe. It is easier to hate than to learn, to hear a politician say a certain group is “indoctrinating” children and become consumed by fearful speculation. People like Kim Reynolds know this and use it to fuel their careers.

I too have felt how intoxicating it is to unleash all your anxieties onto someone else. But in the aftermath of that high, there comes the crushing realization that you have hurt another human being. Is this the way we want to live?

I am not a politician with some sinister agenda. I’m not a leftist who wants to brainwash your kids. I am a teenager asking you, the reader, to try. Try learning about the experiences of trans youth. Try talking to acquaintances who are gay, bi, or trans. Try advocating for their rights. I hope you find we’re more than a scary statistic, that we’re, quite possibly, on the same side.

Kenna Wolbers is a student at Wahlert Catholic High School in Dubuque. Her column first appeared in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald.